Aadhaar card is one of the most crucial identity verification document in our country required for opening a bank account to filing income tax returns. It is very important to protect the security of Aadhaar and prevent its misuse. The Government of India has brought several measures to strengthen the security of Aadhaar. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has a feature, which allows you to lock and unlock your Aadhaar number. This allows to further strengthen the privacy and security of the Aadhaar number of an individual.
Here are some steps you can take to prevent misuse of your Aadhaar:
1) Locking Aadhaar number
Locking Aadhaar means locking your 12 digits Aadhaar and instead of using the 16 digits Virtual ID (VID) for all forms of authentication. There are two ways to lock your Aadhaar.
Select UID Lock Radio Button and enter UID Number, Full Name, and Pin Code as in the latest details and enter the security code.
Click on Send OTP or select TOTP and click on submit.
Your UID will be locked successfully.
Via SMS
For Locking UID, the resident should have a 16 digit VID number and it’s a pre-requisite for locking. If a resident doesn’t have VID can generate via SMS Service or Resident Portal.
SMS Service. GVID space last 4 or 8 digits of UID. SMS to 1947. Ex- GVID 1234.
2) Locking Biometrics in Aadhaar
Another option with an Aadhaar holder is to lock biometrics. Biometric ‘Locking/Unlocking’ is a service that allows an Aadhaar holder to lock and temporarily unlock their biometrics. This facility aims to strengthen the privacy and confidentiality of resident’s biometrics data.
How to lock Aadhaar biometrics?
Open Resident portal, go to ‘My Adhaar’ then go to Aadhaar service.
Click on lock/unlock biometrics.
Next, enter your Aadhaar or VID number, and captcha code.
You will receive an OTP on your registered mobile number.
Enter the OTP and submit.
Your biometrics will be locked.
