New Delhi: The UIDAI has adopted measures to curb the misuse of Aadhaar data. The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology warned against sharing photocopies of Aadhaar cards with any institution or individuals in order to avoid any misuse. A masked Aadhaar which displays only the last 4 digits of Aadhaar number, can be used as an alternative.

The measures were stated in a press release issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). The central government's intervention comes against the backdrop of increase in misuse of Aadhaar cards.

Only UIDAI licensed companies are allowed to purchase a copy of the Aadhaar card if required for identification. According to a press release issued by the Union IT Ministry, hotels and movie theatres are not allowed to operate near these premises.

The Center has directed to share copies of the Aadhaar card only with accredited institutions. Internet cafes should not be used to download Aadhaar cards.

As per the UIDAI website, “Mask Aadhaar option allows you to mask your Aadhaar number in your downloaded e-Aadhaar. Masked Aadhaar number implies replacing of the first 8 digits of Aadhaar number with some characters like “xxxx-xxxx" while only last 4 digits of the Aadhaar Number are visible.”

How to download a masked Aadhaar card
• Go to myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in
• Click on the login option
• Enter your Aadhaar number
• Enter captcha code
• Then, click on ‘Send OTP’
• The OTP will be sent to your Aadhaar-linked ten-digit mobile number
• Enter the OTP in the required space and click on the Login option displayed on screen
• Go to the ‘Services’ section and click on ‘Download Aadhaar’
• Go to the ‘Review your Demographics Data’ section
• Click on ‘Do you want a masked Aadhaar?’ option and download the masked Aadhaar card