Aadhaar Details Not to Be Shared From July 1 as Virtual ID Can be Generated at https://resident.uidai.gov.in to Protect Your Privacy

To address the issue of privacy concerns UIDAI now allows you to generate a virtual id, which is a temporary number in lieu of Aadhaar

Starting from July 1, 2018, you do not need to share your Aadhaar number with telecom operators, insurance companies or banks. This is because to address the issue of privacy concerns Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) now allows you to generate a Virtual ID (VID), which is a temporary number, that can be shared with various service providers in lieu of Aadhaar number whenever authentication or e-KYC services is required.

The initiative aims to minimise instances of leak and misuse of Aadhaar numbers and enhance the privacy of the crore of people who have been issued the identification number.

Now with VID the authentication will be performed in a manner similar to using Aadhaar number. The privacy remains secured because you only share VID with the service provider, which is a temporary number. The service provider then sends the number to Aadhaar database which maps it with your Aadhaar number to authenticate details.

On the question that can an agency store your VID? The UIDAI website states, “Since VID is temporary and can be changed by the Aadhaar number holder, storing VID has no value. Agencies should not store VID in any database or logs.”

Hence while buying an insurance policy or getting a new SIM card wherever OTP or biometrics or demographics authentication is required you can just share your virtual ID. As by July 1, all these agencies have to fully migrate to the new system or risk losing their registration and fines.

The website states, “VID can be used in lieu of Aadhaar number in authentication API input. Various entities will update their Aadhaar authentication application to accept VID as an input for authentication.”

Considering the choice depends on you- whether you want to share your Aadhaar or Virtual number- it is advisable to generate VID for having a safe and secure transaction.