Two days after issuing an advisory not to share copies of Aadhaar cards to avoid misuse, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) issued a clarification on Sunday, May 29, effectively withdrawing the earlier recommendation. UIDAI withdraws earlier version “due to possible misunderstanding”.

In a press release issued on Friday, UIDAI said: “Do not share your copy of your Aadhaar with any organisation as it may be misused. Alternatively, use a masked Aadhaar that shows only the last four digits of your Aadhaar number.”
UIDAI advises usual caution when using and sharing one’s Aadhaar number, saying, “the Aadhaar authentication ecosystem provides sufficient functionality to protect and maintain the identity and privacy of Aadhaar holders”.

The masked version of the Aadhar card can be downloaded from the official UIDAI website by selecting the ” Do you want a masked Aadhaar” option.

The previous press release also mentioned that people should only share copies of their Aadhaar cards with organisations that have permission from UIDAI users, adding that private entities such as hotels or cinemas should not collect or keep copies of Aadhaar cards.