Aadhaar Users May Soon Get to Opt Out, Delete Data on UIDAI Server

A draft cabinet note to include this opt out amendment has already been prepared by the UIDAI.

Image used for representation. Telecom service providers cannot ask for linking mobile number with Aadhaar. 

(Photo: The Quint/Liju Joseph)

In what could turn out to be a landmark development, citizens may soon get the option to ‘opt out’ of the Aadhaar Act, thereby enabling them to withdraw their biometric details from the servers of the governing authority, UIDAI.

The government is now reportedly in the last stages of finalising a proposal to amend the Aadhaar Act. This comes after a recent Supreme Court judgment had struck down Section 57 of the Aadhaar Act, which allowed sharing of data with private entities.

According to a DNA report, a draft cabinet note has already been prepared by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to include this amendment.

According to a senior government official, the opt-out provision could be availed by all, however, it would automatically cancel the option to avail many government schemes and subsidies where Aadhaar linkage is still mandatory.

This proposal, though, is likely to benefit only those who do not have a PAN card or do not require one, as the court had upheld the linkage of PAN with Aadhaar.

As per a Tech2 report, apart from allowing withdrawal from Aadhaar, the proposal will also seek to appoint an officer to take charge and decide on whether a person's Aadhaar data needs to be disclosed in matters concerning national security.