Not Collecting Aadhaar Data: FB Clarifies After New Sign-up Test

Facebook had launched a test where it asked some new users to sign-up using the names found on their Aadhaar cards.

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(Photo Courtesy: iStock)

Hours after reports surfaced about how Facebook had started asking some of its new users to sign-up using the names found on their Aadhaar cards, the company has issued a statement saying that they "are not collecting Aadhaar data and do not require people to enter their Aadhaar name when they sign up to Facebook".

The feature involved a prompt that appeared when signing up, which read: "Using the name on your Aadhaar card makes it easier for friends to recognise you", and Facebook indeed confirmed that the feature was being tested. However, as pointed out by the company, "The test ran with a small number of users in India and has now finished."

Facebook showing how the regular sign-up differed from the test sign-up. (Photo Courtesy: Facebook)

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@digitaldutta)

It is important to note that the prompt only asked for one's name as per Aadhaar (and that too was not mandatory), and not the Aadhaar number.

This is an optional prompt that we were testing. People were not required to enter the name on their Aadhaar card, and there is no integration or authentication with Aadhaar.

Taichi Hoshino, Product Manager, Facebook

While Facebook said that "the goal of this test was to help new users understand how to sign up to Facebook with their real name and connect with their friends and family", media reports pointed out that the rollout of the feature was to prevent more and more fake accounts from being created.

As with all tests, we may learn new things that help us provide a better sign-up experience for people joining Facebook, but we currently have no plans to roll this test out further.

Taichi Hoshino, Product Manager, Facebook

Regarding the feature, a company spokesperson had earlier said:

We want to make sure people can use the names they’re known by on Facebook, and can easily connect with friends and family. This is a small test where we provide additional language when people sign up for an account to say that using the name on their Aadhaar card makes it easier for friends to recognise them. This is an optional prompt which we are testing. People are not required to enter the name on their Aadhaar card.

Facebook spokesperson

The prompt, which is coming up on the mobile site of the social media platform, was spotted by several users on Reddit and Twitter.

India is the second largest market for Facebook, and has a user base of more than 241 million users.

Meanwhile, the government’s Aadhaar programme has been at the centre of controversies recently, with concerns being raised by many people about the safety of personal data that it collects as well as the question of privacy.

(This story has been updated with the clarification issued by Facebook)