One of the things that has got Indians a little (read: a lot) freaked out right now is the security of their Aadhaar details. But remember the time when people’s chief concern was how this one number, linked to everything, would be used to track all that they do. Well, it has resurfaced in a slightly shocking manner, and Indian Twitter is getting quite hysterical about it.
It started with a Twitter user’s question about the UIDAI’s number being default saved in people’s phone contact list….
Do you have @UIDAI in your contact list by default?
— Elliot Alderson (@fs0c131y) August 2, 2018
When someone pointed out that this might be because of the Aadhaar app being downloaded on the phone, the user came up with another shocking discovery….
Some people have this contact without having installed mAadhaar
— Elliot Alderson (@fs0c131y) August 2, 2018
Things were only just starting to get interesting, and the guy had every intention of digging all the way to the truth there. So he asked Twitter to do what it does best.
A lot of people have @UIDAI in their contact list by default. I’m thinking aloud: What if it is only the top of the iceberg?
I really need to know now. If you have an Indian phone firmware, I’m your man, please send it to me! https://t.co/xRVNM72f1u
— Elliot Alderson (@fs0c131y) August 2, 2018
And it started.
Several people peeked into their phones’ contact lists and were shook to discover that the UIDAI number was indeed pre-saved on their phone, and they never knew it until now!
Um yes fuck what?! pic.twitter.com/6EeAhPefb7
— Anoo Bhuyan (@AnooBhu) August 2, 2018
Most of them were just purely shocked at this revelation!
Is this scary? Having a contact saved in my phone without my permission? https://t.co/s8aQGRYvKR
— Nikunj Barnwal (@niks2409) August 2, 2018
Yes. How come? I did not make this contact.
— Sameer Kochhar (@SkochSameer) August 2, 2018
And our OG discoverer of this startling information did manage to have a laugh or two at the expense of these bamboozled folks!
— Elliot Alderson (@fs0c131y) August 2, 2018
However, jokes were soon thrown aside in pursuit of the more important thing: how did it get there when the mobile owner never added it in the first place!?????
Just checked. I do. Don't recall adding it at all. https://t.co/HJ1ntVIlA2
— Karthik (@beastoftraal) August 2, 2018
And you know how fear of the unknown is the worst kind of fear? People just arrived the worst possible conclusion about how that number could’ve gotten in there!
I see that I have UIDAI on my phone contact list and I never saved the number !!! OMG…what else are they tracking on my phone?
— Girish Mittal (@G_MITTAL) August 2, 2018
Now, there were some really interesting theories thrown around by people….
Must add, Twitter does do some good investigative work!
From blaming it on the other apps installed in their phones….
I do too… and I never knew…. Must be one of the apps I gave access to READ and EDIT my contacts rights too! https://t.co/xutr4iN9G1
— Virinder Villkhoo (@filmantic) August 2, 2018
… to wondering if it was their network providers who were responsible for this sneaky little thing.
I do. Service provider: @airtelindia https://t.co/EMVQ0Xq0KJ
— Fuwad (@qalamaursyahi) August 2, 2018
I do. @VodafoneIN care to explain? https://t.co/X13jnocF6I
— YellowGlassDragon (@karishmau) August 2, 2018
Some even thought it had something to do with their phone firmware.
Gosh it. Hardly been 3 month and my new Samsung phone has @UIDAI SAVED in contact. I never saved it but immediately removed it. Smart phones are not acting Smart now.
— Sneha (@connectsneha) August 2, 2018
In the process, yet another interesting piece of information was unearthed. Guess what? The UIDAI number sneakily saved in people’s phones did not even work!
This is super creepy… I have a @UIDAI contact in my list with the number 1800-300-1947 by default. Dialed the number, it is invalid.
Interestingly, it is not there in any iPhones I've seen. Any comment from the govt on how this happened? @DoT_India @airtelindia @reliancejio https://t.co/gwXv4ErcKO— Leroy Leo D'Souza (@LeroyLeo7) August 2, 2018
Wow! Kind of a letdown, don’t you think?
Anyway, back to the debate, which raged on and popped out a couple of more interesting theories.
It could’ve been something about new phones coming pre-loaded with this contact.
all the new phones purchased have emergency numbers saved by default and now UIDAI number also is added to the list..
— Sachin Gurjar (@sachideal) August 2, 2018
However, that theory was busted when another user told this story about her ancient phone also showing the UIDAI in the contacts!
Now am confused. I hardly use my ancient basic Sony Ericsson smartphone. Ancient unused pre-mandatory-Aadhaar SIM too. It's mostly switched off or in aeroplane mode. No myAadhaar app. Not linked to Aadhaar. It doesn't have paytm. But it has the number of UIDAI.
— #TurkeyIsBombingTheKurds (@sanguine01chan) August 2, 2018
Finally though, it looked like there was only one plausible explanation to this whodunnit for now—The Service Provider did it!
UIDAI is in the phone contact list because mobile service provider is passing this helpline number with sim.
— Kapil (@kapsology) August 2, 2018
Our OG raiser of this query too seemed to agree that this might be it and the possibilities that such an intrusive operation could open up….
Yes this is probably the explanation explanation. Anyway, if they are ready to do this kind of intrusive move I’m pretty sure we can find some cool stuff in Indian firmware
— Elliot Alderson (@fs0c131y) August 2, 2018
And so now that the mystery was almost solved, it was time for Twitter to do that other thing that it does best—make jokes out of serious issues!
Oh yay! I was waiting for this part!
Check your phone's folks.
Illusion of control over our phones needs to be recalibrated. https://t.co/Zs3shfq8Ai— idiotix (@idiotix) August 2, 2018
I like this guy who has got his priorities all sorted!
Need to take lessons from @UIDAI on how to slide my number into women's phones. Damn, bro. https://t.co/FGKx4Zpg6q
— #Ish (@WhatMenBugger) August 2, 2018
What do you think, folks? Do we need ACP Pradhyuman for this or can you figure out the answer? In fact, have you checked your phone’s contact list lately?