OPEN Data & digital identity: Lessons for Aadhaar

Aadhaar, the largest biometric identification system in the world, has been lauded for its promise to bring efficiencies to government service delivery, and the stimulus to private sector innovation. However, its claims have been contested, and criticized for excesses in terms of potential threats to privacy on account of the vulnerabilities of biometric data, mandatory linkage with numerous schemes and the possibility of mass surveillance through linked databases. Even as the debate continues, every day, large volumes of data are being generated through the use of Aadhaar-enabled authentication and eKYC systems, both by government as well as private entities. There has been relatively less exploration of the resulting ‘open data’ potential of Aadhaar and the manner in which it can contribute to research, policymaking as well as strengthening accountability of the Aadhaar authority (UIDAI) itself. The challenge is to find ways to nudge UIDAI and all users of Aadhaar towards greater sharing of data, in privacy-protecting ways that do not create risks for Aadhaar-number holders. At this stage, we lean towards aggregate statistics as a means to open data while following the strictest standards of privacy.