Aadhaar, world’s largest biometric database sued for data leaks

Mumbai: The Delhi High Court has agreed to hear a plea seeking damages from Aadhaar, world’s largest biometric database for its alleged failures to adopt security measures that led to the data leak.

According to a Bloomberg report, the two-judge bench headed by Justice S Ravindra Bhat has asked UIDAI to submit a response to the petition filed by a law professor. UIDAI has six weeks to reply and the Delhi High Court will hear the case on November 19. 

The government has been claiming that the data is protected with measures including 13-feet high walls, but reports of leaks have raised concerned over the security of the database that is utilised for services from bank accounts to gas connections.

Shamnad Basheer in his petition has requested the court to form a committee to investigate and quantify financial damages because of data leak. The government claims that the protection measures are full proof and has helped to bring transparency and save billions of rupees. 

Basheer in his petition said, "The inability of respondent to secure the identity information of Aadhaaris, including that of the petitioner, has resulted in a serious and egregious violation of the fundamental right to privacy and dignity."