Now You Will Need Aadhaar Card To Do Shopping On Amazon, Book Zoom Car, Here Is Why You Should Be Concerned

Amid all the concerns about the safety of our Aadhaar data with the government, after linking it with multiple essential services, now a number of private internet companies are making the 12-digit unique identity number mandatory for customers to avail their services.

Amazon has asked customers to upload their Aadhaar numbers to track lost packages, while Bengaluru-based car rental platform Zoomcar has said it won't accept bookings without Aadhaar as proof of identity.

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Amazon said it was a necessary means of authenticating customer identity.

"We ask customers to submit a government--certified ID. We understand Aadhaar is the most widely held. So it is our preferred one," said an Amazon India spokesperson.

Also Read: Now Your Residence And Office Addresses Will Be Recorded Like Fingerprints And Iris In Aadhaar

The check can be done without an Aadhaar number too.

"If a customer is unable to share a government-certified identification proof, Amazon, as a customer-centric organisation, will continue to process the request based on other details shared by the customer," the spokesperson said.

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Zoomcar, on the other hand, is making no exceptions and has made Aadhaar mandatory, without which users in north India and Vijayawada cannot book a vehicle. It started insisting on Aadhaar in June and will extend it to users across the country in a month.

Also Read: Upbeat After Moody's Ratings, Govt's Targets Linking Of 1 Billion Aadhaar Cards With As Many Mobiles & Bank Accounts

"Aadhaar has the best API integration, the latest documents are getting connected with bank accounts. If you have an Aadhaar card, you have the KYC (know your customer) sorted," said a Zoomcar spokesperson.

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Mobile wallet Paytm has also requested users to link their Aadhaar details. Cab aggregators Uber and Ola are looking at ways to integrate Aadhaar into their platforms.

Also Read: NRIs, PIOs Get A Relief, They Need Not Link Their Aadhaar Card With PAN Number & Bank Account

Currently, Aadhaar is mandatory for consumers to get government subsidies, operate a bank account, and get a phone connection. People are required to link their Aadhaar number to existing bank accounts by the end of the year.

Also Read: From 2018, Those Who Link Aadhaar Card With Air Tickets Can Directly Go To Boarding Gate At Airport

However, the rules on Aadhaar data collection by private companies still remains unclear.

UIDAI had in April this year filed FIRs against eight unauthorised websites for promising Aadhaar-related services, and illegally collecting Aadhaar number and enrolment details from people.

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These websites were collecting Aadhaar number and enrolment details illegally from residents and promising Aadhaar services posing as entities authorised by UIDAI.

The Section 38 of Aadhaar Act deals with penalty for unauthorised access to the Central Identities Data Repository.

The punishment under this section is imprisonment of up to three years and fine not less than Rs. 10 lakh. IPC¡¯s Section 420 provides for an imprisonment of up to seven years and a fine.

Earlier this year, UIDAI had got shut down 12 websites and 12 mobile apps available on the Google Play Store, for offering Aadhaar services illegally and charging excessive money from the public.

It had also directed authorities to close another 26 such fraudulent and illegal websites and mobile applications.