Telcos to erase Aadhaar data if customer gives alternative KYC docs: COAI

New Delhi: Mobile service customers who want to get their Aadhaar details deleted from records of their telecom operators can do so by providing another valid documents for verification, industry body COAI said Thursday. 

"Telecom players had a meeting with the Department of Telecom and they have been clarified that customers willing to get their Aadhaar details deleted from telecom operator data base should be allowed to do so against valid identity and address proof," COAI Director General Rajan S Mathews said.

He said that telecom operators will need some time to verify documents shared by customers but his connection will continue to work as till the time documents are verified. "Customers will need to call their operators to check about point of sales or service where they need to go with request for deletion of Aadhaar records," Mathews said.

The government on Thursday said there is no threat of discontinuation of mobile numbers issued using Aadhaar, following the Supreme Court ruling that barred use of the national biometric ID by private companies.

Debunking reports that over 50 crore, or half of the mobile SIMs in the country, face deactivation, the Department of Telecommunication and the 12-digit unique identity number-issuing authority UIDAI in a joint statement said, mobile phone users at their choice can seek a change of their Aadhaar-based authentication done in the past with alternate proof of identity without any disconnection of the number.

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An alternate form for buying new SIMs through a mobile app that will time capture photograph of the persons along with ID proof such as Aadhaar card, voter ID or passport is in the works. "The Supreme Court in its judgement in Aadhaar case has nowhere directed that the mobile number which has been issued through Aadhaar e-KYC has to be disconnected," it said.

Terming the report as "completely untrue and imaginary", the government said there is no reason for panic or fear at all. "People should not believe in such rumours," it said.