PUNE: The Unique Identification Authority of India ( UIDAI ) appears clueless on whether citizens who have shared their Aadhaar numbers through various websites and the social media are at the risk of privacy invasion.UIDAI has issued a statement, urging people to refrain from sharing such personal details on social media accounts or on various websites.“If nobody can verify a person without Aadhaar and one can’t share it publicly, unlike other documents, the entire purpose of the unique number if defeated,” said egovernance expert Anupam Saraph, who has filed several RTIs related to Aadhaar.He said it was surprising that why UIDAI was not issuing any statement on the confidentiality of date related to people who have shared their details on the web.Saraph said, “Once 12-digit unique identity number replaces the existing documents, it will amount to causing harm to the country as there is no way to distinguish between the individuals attested carefully by government officials and those added through the Aadhaar database.”UIDAI has hinted at a user outreach programme to sensitize people about the dos and don’ts in the wake of some websites putting up personal details of individuals and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chief R S Sharma disclosing his Aadhaar number on a micro-blogging site, challenging everyone to show how mere knowledge of the unique number could be used to harm him.In its statement issued, UIDAI authorities have said its intention was to equate the Aadhaar numbers with other personal information such as PAN, bank account and credit or debit cards.They have also cautioned users against sharing personal details in the public domain, particularly on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.The UIDAI officials have said that as per the Aadhaar Act and other IT rules, personally sensitive information should not be published or shared publicly. An official said, “Indiscriminate and unwanted publication of any personally sensitive information, whether Aadhaar or any other, may render the person concerned vulnerable and, therefore, should be avoided.”While citizens are still struggling to get their Aadhaar linked with various documents, they fear falling prey to cyber criminals if the 12-digit unique identity numbers were shared on the web. “We keep hearing about the numbers being put online with bank details. At the same time reports of hacking pour in. One cannot rule the risk to the UIDAI database,” banker Mohan Srivastava said.