What is the new Aadhaar app, and how will it protect public data sharing?

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is currently testing a new Aadhaar app that aims to reduce the amount of personal data individuals are required to share during verification processes in public spaces, focus on privacy enhancement and minimise unnecessary data exposure, address the concerns of Aadhaar misuse and offline data leaks and ensure the secure digital identity systems in the country 

What is an Aadhaar number?

An Aadhaar number is a 12-digit unique identification number which is managed by the Unique Identification Authority of India. It is the world's largest digital identity initiative, covering more than 1.3 billion residents of India. Its secure use is critical for welfare policy implementation, financial inclusion, and better digital governance. The Aadhaar number includes:

1. Photograph

2. Date of Birth

3. Address

4. Gender

Key Issues Faced by Aadhaar Data

Recently, the UIDAI highlighted the issue of misuse of the Aadhaar Offline Data Verification (AODV) and data security risks and privacy safeguards in public debate. In recent years citizens need to share full Aadhaar details, such as address, photograph, and year of birth, even for the minimal verification, which raises many challenges: 

Current challenges include: 

1. Sharing the entire Aadhaar data for simple verification

2. Exposure of demographic data in public places/data safety 

3. Risk of misuse of Aadhar offline data 

4. Unauthorised storage of demographic files by private entities 

How will the new Aadhaar app address the issue of unnecessary data sharing and security risks?

UIDAI is developing a simplified and privacy-first approach application with the following objectives:

• Minimum Data Exposure: The New Aadhaar App will allow users to share only required information like name verification or age eligibility without revealing additional information.

• Safe Public Verification: The app will have a specifically designed feature for use in public places like airports, hotels and offices where residents often have to share full Aadhaar copies of theirs. 

• Selective Data Display: Through the app, users will be able to choose what information gets displayed and what remains hidden.

• Enhanced QR-Based Verification: It will rely more on encrypted QR codes that reveal only essential information of the user, not the full Adhaar data.

• Reducing the opportunities for unauthorized storage by the private entities

• It will eliminate the need to hand over photocopies of digital copies of Aadhar

• The app will make verification possible without extracting any offline XML file

Why is this important for digital privacy? 

In the rapidly digitalised world, Aadhaar is used across welfare policy delivery, banking, travel, telecom and other private services; the new Aadhaar app provides:  

1. Privacy Design: The app will give the users only the required data revelation, which aligns with global data protection safeguards.

2. Limited Public Exposure: low demographic visibility decreases the risk of identity fraud and data leaks.

3. Better Compliance with Aadhaar Regulations: It will support UIDAI's mandate that service providers should not store or misuse sensitive user data.

4. Build Citizen Trust: Residents using Aadhaar in public will feel safe knowing they are controlling their data.

The new Aadhaar app and offline QR verification represent a crucial shift towards a privacy-first digital identity system by enabling selective data display. It will minimise unnecessary exposure of full demographic data in the public sphere, significantly reduce the risk of data misuse and identity theft, and ensure the data protection safeguards in the Aadhar ecosystem.