UID system secure, will deter terrorists: CEO

NEW DELHI: Seeking to put to rest fears that the use of fake identification to obtain Aadhaar cards and the leak of data pose a security threat, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey has said that UID systems are secure and will deter terrorists and money launderers.

The use of a fake Aadhaar ID will prove more hazardous to criminals as compared to spurious ration or election cards as biometric data can identify an individual with more certainty. “If somebody has Aadhaar with a fake identity, then he will be stuck his whole life with that fake identity,“ Pandey told TOI.

If a person planning to commit a crime or an act of terror were to open a bank account using Aadhaar, authorities would also find it far easier to track him. Pandey argued that the alleged breach of privacy with some government agencies displaying Aadhaar-linked information on their websites did not mean that the biometrics were compromised. “To say that Aadhaar has been breached, privacy is endangered is incorrect, misleading and even irresponsible,“ he said.