The goof-up comes at a time when the Central Government’s push for universal adoption of the biometric Unique Identification Document (UID) or Aadhaar has been criticised in various quarters for ignoring privacy concerns of citizens.
According to reports, the CSC e-governance Services India Ltd tweeted a picture of Dhoni’s fingerprints being scanned during his Aadhaar enrolment, a picture that IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad himself also tweeted. However, the agency also tweeted a screenshot of the cricketer’s application form revealing all his identification details.
In a series of tweets to Minister Prasad, Dhoni’s wife Sakshi, complained furiously on the breach of privacy by CSC e-governance Services India Ltd.@rsprasad @CSCegov_ is there any privacy left ??? Information of adhaar card including application is made public property!#disappointed
— Sakshi Singh (@SaakshiSRawat) March 28, 2017
Prasad, who initially seemed to have missed the picture of the application form, asked Sakshi what personal information had been leaked in the picture of Dhoni’s fingerprints being scanned. Sakshi responded that personal information had also been leaked with a screenshot of the application form.
@rsprasad Sir personal information filled in form is leaked !
— Sakshi Singh ️ (@SaakshiSRawat) March 28, 2017
After Sakshi had pointed out the tweeted application form, however, Prasad responded that such sharing of information is illegal, and assured her that action would be taken.
@SaakshiSRawat Thanks for bringing this to my notice. Sharing personal information is illegal. Serious action will be taken against this.
— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) March 28, 2017
NDTV quoted sources to report that the Minister has issued orders instructing all employees not to commit any actions that damage the reputation of Aadhaar and give credence to opposition arguments regarding privacy concerns associated with the project.
PTI tweeted that the agency involved in the whole fiasco has now been blacklisted by the UIDAI, the central authority behind the Aadhaar project.
#UIDAI blacklists centre that leaked #Aadhaar receipt of cricketer M S #Dhoni for 10 years, further inquiry on: UIDAI CEO.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 29, 2017
The Aadhaar project has been at the forefront of public debate in the last few days, ever since the Central Government announced plans to make the UID compulsory for a variety of purposes including filing Income Tax, getting driver’s licenses and owning a mobile phone connection.
