In a volte-face, the government has withdrawn its earlier advisory which had warned citizens to not share photocopies of their Aadhaar card with any organisation because of potential misuse.

The advisory, issued by the Bengaluru regional office of the UIDAI, also advised citizens to use a masked Aadhaar which displays only the last 4 digits of their Aadhaar number.

It also urged citizens to avoid using a public computer at an internet café or kiosk to download their e-Aadhaar. However if one still needs to do so, they must ensure to delete all the downloaded copies of e-Aadhaar permanently from that computer, the now-withdrawn advisory said.

Citing the possibility of the misinterpretation of the earlier press release, the government has withdrawn it with immediate effect.

UIDAI issued Aadhaar card holders are only advised to exercise "normal prudence" in using and sharing their UIDAI Aadhaar numbers, the government said in its latest release.

Aadhaar Identity Authentication ecosystem has provided adequate features for protecting and safeguarding the identity and privacy of the Aadhaar holder, it added.

However, the press note issued on May 27 said that "only those organisations that have obtained a User License from the UIDAI can use Aadhaar for establishing the identity of a person. Unlicensed private entities like hotels or film halls are not permitted to collect or keep copies of Aadhaar card. It is an offence under the Aadhaar Act 2016. If a private entity demands to see your Aadhaar card, or seeks a photocopy of your Aadhaar card, please verify that they have valid User License from the UIDAI."

How to download masked Aadhaar?

An electronic version of masked Aadhaar can be downloaded from UIDAI’s official website. Users can visit the link https://eaadhaar.uidai.gov.in/genricDownloadAadhaar and select the “Do you want a masked Aadhaar” option before proceeding to download.

Masked Aadhaar can be used for eKYC where sharing Aadhaar Number is not necessary. It only shows the last 4 digits of your Aadhaar.

Additionally, to verify any Aadhaar number offline, one can scan the QR code on e-Aadhaar or Aadhaar letter or Aadhaar PVC card using a QR code scanner in the mAadhaar mobile application.