It is the natural tendency of government to desire perfect records of private lives. History shows that no matter t… https://t.co/c4mC5GNrFk — Edward Snowden (@Snowden) 1515108008000

NEW DELHI: US whistleblower Edward Snowden has a dim view of governments, of course -- which is why he calls recent reports of alleged Aadhaar data breaches "government abuse"."It is the natural tendency of government to desire perfect records of private lives. History shows that no matter the laws, the result is abuse," tweeted Snowden.He was responding to a tweet alerting him about a report in India's 'The Tribune', which claimed one could buy an individual's Aadhaar information for a paltry Rs 500.The report said an "agent" available on WhatsApp helped facilitate access with a login ID and password to obtain details on an Aadhaar number.The agent, the report claimed, was paid Rs 500 through an e-wallet. Then, an individual's name, address, postal code, photo, phone number and email were accessed and an Aadhaar card printed.An FIR has been filed in Mohali from where the "purchase" of access to Aadhaar data was reported.UIDAI, the body that runs Aadhaar, denied that the breach allowed access to millions of Aadhaar cardholders' details , saying the search facility is available for the purpose of grievance redressal and only to designated personnel and state government officials. Further, details are limited to just a particular Aadhaar number punched in.Demographic information cannot be misused without biometrics, UIDAI said.Officials said they are taking the unauthorised use of the grievance mechanism seriously and will work with the police to trace the people involved in making the login ID and password available to a private entity, which will also be investigated.