The Unique Identification Authority of India has launched a mobile app for the country’s national biometric ID program.
The mAadhaar app is essentially a mobile version of an Aadhaar card, containing the same biographic and biometric information. It can only be downloaded to the same SIM card registered with a given user’s Aadhaar, and it offers users an easy means of updating their information.
It also has a potentially important security feature in allowing users to ‘lock’ or ‘unlock’ their biometric credentials; when locked, the biometrics can’t be used to activate new services, such as opening a bank account. This appears to be a means of helping to ensure that biometric credentials can’t be fraudulently used.
At the same time, India’s Financial Express reports that the UIDAI hasn’t offered details on security mechanisms built into the app.
In any case, many Indians could find it a useful tool as an increasing number of digital services in the country turn to Aadhaar for authentication security. The app is available now for Android users only, but an iOS version is reportedly in the pipeline.
Sources: Financial Express, Business Today, The Economic Times
(Originally posted on FindBiometrics)
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