SFLC.in wrote a letter to Ashwini Vaishnaw ,Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, for an urgent investigation into the biggest data breach in India. In light of the gravity and severity of this incident, we urge the Government of India to look into this data leak immediately. SFLC.in has been working extensively on promoting and protecting the digital rights of Indian citizens since 2010 and would be happy to assist in any manner.
Read the letter here:
To,
Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw Minister of Electronics and Information Technology
Government of India
Sub: Urgent investigation into the biggest data breach in India
Respected Sir,
This is with respect to Multiple reports have been circulating since October 31st 20223 that the Aadhaar details of 81.5 Cr people had been leaked online in what is being touted as India’s biggest data breach. The data included personal information such as names, Aadhar number, age, gender, addresses, and phone numbers of individuals. In response to such reports, The Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar stated that CERT-In is investigating this alleged leak as per its mandate and more comments could only be made based on its report.
The volume of the leak raises grave concerns about the security of personal information, since leaks of person information such as Aadhar number, passport number and other personal data can result in high financial losses and fraudulent activities, and with 81.5 crore people estimated to have been impacted, the consequences can be severe, ranging from identity theft and impersonation, to emotional distress with long-term fears of misuse of their personal information. India has in the recent past been subject of large-scale data breaches, with the CoWIN data breach having occurred less than six months ago on 12th June, 2023. As per a report by a company engaged in data leak detection called Surfshark, India is currently one of six countries with the most data breaches in the world. The fundamental right to privacy, guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution is continuing to be violated by such instances, and it is pertinent to address and secure individuals’ personal data with urgency.
In light of the gravity and severity of this incident, we urge the Government of India to look into this data leak immediately.
SFLC.in has been working extensively on promoting and protecting the digital rights of Indian citizens since 2010 and would be happy to assist in any manner.
Regards,
