NEW DELHI: Users should not put their Aadhaar number on the internet or social media just as they would not disclose details of their PAN, debit and credit cards and cheques to prevent an unwarranted invasion of privacy, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has said.

Answering a series of FAQs, UIDAI said its advisory asking people not to share their Aadhaar number did not mean it could not be used freely. "You should use your Aadhaar without any hesitation for proving your identity and doing transactions, just like you use your bank account number, PAN card, debit card and credit card," it said. "You can freely use your Aadhaar to establish your identity as and when required without fear. While using Aadhaar, you should do the same level of due diligence as you do in case of other ID cards - not more, not less," the UIDAI said.

The authority said since most people do not unnecessarily put out details in the public domain, the same logic applied to Aadhaar. The clarification follows the caution that followed Trai chairperson R S Sharma putting his Aadhaar number on social media. The UIDAI found that placing Aadhaar numbers on social media was becoming a 'dare' and decided to advice against it.

On whether anyone could harm a user by knowing and misusing an Aadhaar number, UIDAI said this was not possible. "In fact, an Aadhaar identity is instantly verifiable and hence more trusted (than other IDs). More significantly, an Aadhaar card is by law required to be verified by fingerprint, iris scan, OTP authentication and QR code. Hence, it is near impossible to impersonate you if you use Aadhaar to prove your identity. People have been freely giving other identity documents such as passport, voter ID, PAN card, ration card, driving licence but did not stop for fear of impersonation," UIDAI said.

In the event of a fraudster obtaining a copy of an Aadhaar card and attempting to open a bank account, UIDAI said this could not be done merely on presentation or submission of a physical "card or photocopy". A biometric or OTP authentication and other due diligence was mandatory.

On the other hand, if a bank account was opened by accepting Aadhaar without biometric or OTP authentication, the bank was responsible for any loss. The authority said mere access to Aadhaar number would not lead to funds being accessed from a bank account.

