# Securing Trust in India’s Digital Citizenship
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2018-01-30
Category: TECHNOLOGY
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/technology
Meta Title: Indian Government's Privacy Concerns with Aadhaar
Meta Description: Learn about the legal and political debates surrounding Aadhaar, India's digital identity system, and its implications on citizen privacy and security.
URL: https://financedigest.com/securing-trust-in-indias-digital-citizenshiphtml

![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/fd300118-11-1736843029216-compressed.jpg)

_**Jaikishan Rajaraman**, VP & Global Head of Technology at GSMA_

User privacy has been at the forefront of debates over digital identity since their inception.  The case of Aadhaar, the Indian government’s digital identity solution, has attracted particular attention in recent months.  India’s Supreme Court [ruled](http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/privacy-a-fundamental-right-sc-ruling-to-impact-aadhaar-beef-ban-and-gay-sex/story-UeJowFuE4sVT1HdW7SkhbP.html) in August of last year that privacy is a fundamental right of Indian citizenship, reigniting legal and political debates over Aadhaar.  Aadhaar has not been deemed a breach of privacy in itself; the case hinged rather on the security and confidentiality of the personal [data the system](https://www.financedigest.com/interoperability-of-data-to-accelerate-the-whole-slide-imaging-systems-market.html "Interoperability of data to accelerate the Whole Slide Imaging Systems Market") relies on, and to what use that data may be put.

As India [pursues](https://www.forbes.com/sites/oliviergarret/2017/06/28/india-is-likely-to-become-the-first-digital-cashless-society/#5ad331a53c80) its aim to bring about a largely cashless society, digital identity verification will play an increasingly central role in daily life there.  What citizens buy, which publications they read, and where they [travel will in time become a matter of record](https://www.financedigest.com/covid-testing-rules-spark-christmas-travel-chaos-in-australia-as-cases-hit-records.html "COVID-testing rules spark Christmas travel chaos in Australia as cases hit records").  Should transit by rail, for instance, come to require one’s Aadhaar number, the [state will hold](https://www.financedigest.com/india-to-hold-one-day-state-mourning-on-passing-away-of-queen-elizabeth.html "India to hold one day state mourning on passing away of Queen Elizabeth") details on every train journey a citizen makes as a matter of course. With subscription to mobile networks in India already [requiring](http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/aadhaar-ekyc-for-mobile-phone-connections-heres-what-you-need-to-know/) verification via Aadhaar, the state would soon be able to link the travel and call records of every individual in the country. These implications have [prompted](http://www.firstpost.com/tech/news-analysis/right-to-privacy-challenges-around-aadhaar-provide-greater-impetus-for-formation-of-a-strong-data-privacy-law-3981901.html) debates across Indian society over proper safeguards on how that data can be used and secured.

Public trust in the solution was not helped by a recent exposé by investigative journalists.  Earlier this month, Indian newspaper _The Tribune_ [reported](http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/rs-500-10-minutes-and-you-have-access-to-billion-aadhaar-details/523361.html) that it had been able to gain access to private identity information belonging to Indian citizens enrolled in Aadhaar, by paying an official at the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) around $8.  The official in question also provided, for a further $5, software necessary to print Aadhaar cards on entering the Aadhaar number of any individual – effectively enabling the reporters to clone the [digital identity](https://www.financedigest.com/transparency-and-decentralisation-the-remedy-to-our-digital-identity-fears.html "Transparency and decentralisation, the remedy to our digital identity fears") of almost anyone in India.  Sanjay Jindal, Additional Director-General at the UIDAI Regional Centre in Chandigarh, has accepted that these events constitute “a major national security breach.”  The story appears not to end there: the lead reporter working on the report [claims](https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/more-to-come-reporter-rachna-khaira-who-broke-aadhaar-story-backed-by-editor-1797018) she has so far revealed only “the tip of the iceberg” and that there is “much more to come”.

Public confidence in the solution has therefore inevitably been called into question.  While the Indian government faces no easy task, in digitising personal identity in the world’s largest democracy, the bottom line is that [consumer trust](https://www.financedigest.com/trusting-in-trust-marks-enhancing-consumer-trust-in-your-ecommerce-business.html "Trusting in trust marks: enhancing consumer trust in your ecommerce business ") is vital to uptake and success. The mobile industry can help here.  [Mobile network operators](https://www.financedigest.com/russian-regulator-says-mobile-operator-mts-breached-anti-monopoly-laws.html "Russian regulator says mobile operator MTS breached anti-monopoly laws") have a natural interest in ensuring the privacy of their customers – it is on this relationship of trust that much of their commercial success depends.  Where operators are in the driving seat of identity verification, they will naturally [place](https://www.gsma.com/identity/mobile-connect-privacy-principles) privacy among their very highest priorities.  With their range of authentication assets, such as the SIM card, strong registration processes, and multiple fraud detection and mitigation processes, mobile operators are uniquely well-positioned to help governments [design and operate identity solutions](https://www.financedigest.com/product-design-verification-and-validation-solution-market-2021-present-scenario-and-growth-prospects-2025.html "Product Design Verification And Validation Solution Market 2021 | Present Scenario and Growth Prospects 2025") – rather than merely providing them with the architecture via which to run them.  And, as 2017 drew to a close, it had [become](https://www.gsma.com/identity/operators-leading-digital-identity) increasingly clear that operators are collaborating to take the lead in digital identity worldwide, building their expertise in this vital component of connected commerce and civic life.

Operator-led identity solutions like Mobile Connect can offer a robust system of consent management: where for instance the present [implementation of Aadhaar sees](https://www.financedigest.com/eu-sees-more-work-ahead-to-implement-russian-oil-price-cap.html "EU sees more work ahead to implement Russian oil price cap") users merely receiving SMS notification when their data is accessed by an approved party, operators can offer a far more consumer-centric consent mechanism.  By matching users with something they have on their person as a matter of course (their mobile phone), in conjunction with something they know (a PIN), and/or something they are (a biometric scan), Mobile Connect’s design precludes [data breaches](https://www.financedigest.com/amazons-twitch-hit-by-data-breach-due-to-configuration-error.html "Amazon’s Twitch hit by data breach due to configuration error") of the kind exposed by The Tribune.  With rigorous transparency and granularity – for instance data availability on a per-transaction basis – operator-led solutions can act primarily as tools of the user, rather than simply a means of integrating that user into a system over which they have little recourse.  Once users are confident in their level of control over their own data, legal and political roadblocks to connected citizenship can be increasingly removed – and rises in [living standards can be realised for millions](https://www.financedigest.com/covid-took-15-million-lives-globally-not-the-5-million-reported-who.html "COVID took 15 million lives globally, not the 5 million reported – WHO").


---
This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more.
---