Why did UIDAI decide to launch the Masked Aadhaar?
The most important document establishing citizenship in India is now Aadhaar. However, it means that you have allowed them access to your personal information if you provide your Aadhaar number for any transaction. The possibility of important information being misused raises severe concerns. Since there have been so many examples of data breaches, people are becoming less and less confident in the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) system. Because of this, the government developed Masked Aadhaar, a distinct form of Aadhaar.
According to a report titled "A Documentation of Public Access to Aadhaar Numbers with Sensitive Personal Financial Information," a calculable figure of between 133 million and 134 million Aadhaar numbers were stolen from four official government websites in 2017. Along with two websites for the provincial government, they include the National Social Insurance Programme and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. The CIS further stated that the lack of appropriate masking procedures was the primary cause of the information breach. This exposed private information about Aadhaar holders, including their residences, pictures, and financial information. A valid Aadhaar number may be used as a key to unlock several layers of locks on sensitive data that is extremely important to a person.
When Should I Use My Masked Aadhaar?
Most private and governmental entities in the nation will accept transactions using the disguised Aadhaar card instead of the standard Aadhaar card. For e-KYC tasks, for instance, you would be able to provide masked Aadhaar if it is not essential to provide the soft copy or a photocopy of your Aadhaar card.
The notion of disguised Aadhaar is intended to provide third-party businesses restricted visibility while using Aadhaar as identification evidence. In this approach, you let a third party to examine both your Aadhaar number and the last four digits of the photo on your concealed Aadhaar card. They won't be able to view or keep the complete Aadhaar number or the vital data associated with it. Isn't this a safer approach to handle your everyday life transactions? However, you might not be able to create bank accounts, enrol for government assistance programmes like the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana or Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, or get LPG subsidies with the disguised Aadhaar card. To take benefit of the programmes in certain situations, you must provide your whole 12-digit Aadhaar number.