Privacy must not be discussed only in the context of Government and Aadhaar.
It must be extended to non-state sector too.
How the non-state actors intrude the privacy?
Media -Many persons are affected by intrusive or false reporting by the print and digital media.
Media houses photograph or videograph people for their stories, sometimes covertly and access private documents which may also constitute an intrusion into privacy.
Private businesses -The online businesses, private establishments, technology companies, and social media deal routinely with people and sensitive data.
Many shops, malls, jewellers and super markets use CCTV cameras for surveillance.
Mobile numbers are almost being used like identity numbers and, worse, shared casually.
Electronic devices - Some cell phones use biometric access with the data stored abroad.
Uploading ones digital photo makes them susceptible to facial recognition and tracking.
Web browsing -E-commerce sites insist on registration before their services are used, most web browsers and search engines are actually programmed to rememberusers’ actions.
When one click the ‘I agree’ or ‘remember password’ button on a screen there can be consequences for their privacy.
International travel - When one travel abroad they are routinely allowed to make use of their biometrics for visas.
How photos are vulnerable over biometrics?
Photographs have been used for ages to identify, name and track individuals.
Many allow their friends to tag their faces quite voluntarily using the face tagging feature on social media
After all, a fingerprint needs an expert to decode it whereas a photo can be taken without the subject even being aware of it and used to identify individuals with accuracy.
In comparison to fingerprints, photos are so much more potent and liable for misuse that every photograph that is taken and shared.
Way forward
Under a ‘privacy law’, the media also have to deal with the vulnerability of personal data and should bring in strong opinions on the matter of privacy.
Aadhaar as more possible security features (like locking the Aadhaar number by the user), when compared with the above mentioned Non-state actors.
Thus breach of privacy is not only possible with Aadhaar it is possible everywhere, the users must be aware of their data.
