🐘India🇮🇳: Offline verification within the Aadhaar system raises concerns

🐘India🇮🇳: Offline verification within the Aadhaar system raises concerns

Citizens have expressed concern about potential personal data leaks associated with the proposed changes.

➡️ Key information: Aadhaar is a unique 12-digit identification number assigned to every resident of India. The system was developed by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) in 2010. The number follows a defined structure: the first 11 digits represent an automatically generated unique code, and the twelfth digit is a checksum. It is linked to the user’s biometric data, including 10 fingerprint templates, 2 iris templates, and a photograph. These records are stored in a centralized database.

➡️ Optimization: in late January 2026, a new version of the Aadhaar application was released, functioning as a digital credential that can be shared with various services, such as hotels or payment platforms. Planned integrations include Google Wallet, Apple Wallet, and potentially Samsung Wallet.

➡️ Critical aspect: the new application enables identity verification without real-time checks against the central database. This feature has raised concerns among certain stakeholders. However, the information shared with merchants can be limited; for instance, age verification does not require disclosure of the full date of birth.

➡️ How it works❓ — through QR codes. Users can select which data elements to share in each specific case.

➡️ Additional concerns: opponents argue that, in its current form, the application does not provide sufficient security, existing protection mechanisms are inadequate, and there are ongoing inaccuracies in the database.

Overall, the total number of monthly installations of applications related to Aadhaar increased from approximately 2 million in October 2025 to nearly 9 million in December 2025.

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