[Update: Happy April Fool’s day!]
In one of the biggest social push for Aadhaar, some of the biggest Internet companies have announced that their users need to link their Aadhaar cards with their accounts. Prominent among them are Google, Facebook and Tinder.
There are some smaller, niche websites as well, such as those dealing with torrents, but we are yet to validate their claims.
After linking of Aadhaar with PAN Card, filing income tax, starting a business and driving license, this is seen as one of the biggest Aadhaar linked projects. Analysts are saying that Govt. has forced these mega-portals to link Aadhaar database, but no confirmation has arrived yet.
Aadhaar Mandatory For Every Google Search
Supporting Govt. of India’s vision for a complete Aadhaar based eco-system, world’s largest search engine and biggest Internet company by revenues, Google, has announced that from now on, every Google account will be linked to Aadhaar card.
And, that is not enough: Every Google search has to be validated with Aadhaar authentication as well.
Google India’s representative said: “We want to track and monitor every Google search and ensure that we create a database of this data. What better platform than Aadhaar for doing it?”
As per available reports, as soon as a Google search is initiated, a new window will pop up, wherein the user needs to include his or her Aadhaar number. The database authentication will happen via Google servers, linked with UIDAI’s database.
For mobile users, a biometric-based authentication has been planned, wherein the user’s iris or fingerprint scan would happen at runtime.
Google representative said, “We can easily integrate the mobile camera with our database to complete the iris scan. For fingerprint scan, a new app needs to be downloaded. We are talking with relevant authorities for the same.”
Experts are claiming that Govt. of India will now read every mail, scan every Google search an individual makes, via Aadhaar card.
Aadhaar Needed For Facebook Likes, Comments
Facebook too has jumped into the Aadhaar mode and announced a series of updates, which basically links Aadhaar with every Facebook profile. Both new and existing Facebook users would be required to link their Aadhaar card details with their respective accounts.
And, the picture in the Aadhaar card would be mandatory linked with every Facebook account as well.
Owners of fake profiles, such as ‘Angel Priya’ and more must be specially worried now because one Aadhaar card means just one profile.
Facebook India representative, on the condition of anonymity, said, “Yes, this shall be tough in the initial phase. But once every account is linked with Aadhaar database, then only genuine persons would exist on our platform. It is a big win for us.”
As per available reports, while posting an update on Facebook, or liking/sharing/commenting a post, a new pop-up would appear, asking the user to authenticate their Aadhaar details.
For mobile app users, an iris based scan is being planned. Like Google, Facebook will integrate the mobile camera with their database, for a seamless biometric authentication.
Experts are stating that such high level of authentication will remove the trolls from the platform, and hate comments shall decrease.
Aadhaar Required For Every Tinder Swipe
Tinder, which authenticates their users via Facebook accounts, has also declared that they will scan Aadhaar card details before every swipe: left or right.
Besides, at the time of account creation, Tinder will ask for fingerprint scan of the user, which shall be directly authenticated via UIDAI database. Facebook will form the second layer of authentication for their users.
Last year, Tinder had opened their new office in India, wherein only two employees are working as of now (one is the peon). Their only representative said, “Dating apps like Tinder should be using Aadhaar since a long time. I wonder why this didn’t happen till now.”
Explaining the Aadhaar linked process on their platform, Tinder said, “Whenever one wants to swipe a profile on Tinder, a new popup will appear, asking the user to authenticate their Aadhaar numbers. This way, Govt. of India shall be aware of every left and right swipe, and who made them.”
When we asked that Tinder representative as to why this arrangement has been made, he said, “We are fed up with married men swiping right every profile of girl they see. It is plain desperation, you see. With Aadhaar authentication, Govt. of India can now inform their wives about this habit, and everything would be streamlined. More security, more power to Tinder users.”
Association of Single Men and Women in India has expressed their reservations on Tinder’s Aadhaar integration. One member said, “This is extreme. This is crude. We will protest against the intrusion of our privacy. How can Govt. integrate Aadhaar with dating?”
Some unnamed sources have revealed that Govt. forced Google, Facebook and Tinder to integrate Aadhaar into their platform. But we are still not sure.
More information on these decisions is expected tomorrow and we will update the post as soon as we have more…so come back tomorrow