Agencies in possession of Aadhaar number of an individual will not be allowed to publish or post the information publicly and will have to ensure security and confidentiality of the 12-digit identification number under the Aadhaar Act.
The move comes as part of the UIDAI’s efforts to ensure the information is not misused. Under the recently notified regulations, these agencies have also been mandated to inform Aadhaar holders the purpose for which their details will be used. As per the rules, the biometric information cannot be shared with anyone for any reason whatsoever.
Any violation of the Aadhaar Act will constitute an offence and is punishable under the Act, according to Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey.
Penalty has been prescribed for offences such as impersonation of the Aadhaar holder at the time of enrolment, tampering with data and disclosing identity information. Based on the offence, the penalty could go up to three years imprisonment or a fine of up to Rs.1 lakh or both.