Facebook asks new users to enter names ‘as per Aadhaar’ while signing up

Facebook says the new feature is aimed at encouraging users to enter their real names while signing up.

Well, we did see this coming. (AFP)

Facebook is testing a new feature in India wherein it is encouraging new users to enter their names as per their Aadhaar card.

The move is aimed at encouraging users to put their real names on the social network. Since it's being tested with a small population in India, not all users may be able to see this. It is worth pointing out here that the Aadhaar-based sign up is not mandatory.

Facebook confirmed that it is indeed testing such feature.

"We want to make sure people can use the names they're known by on Facebook, and can easily connect with friends and family. This is a small test where we provide additional language when people sign up for an account to say that using the name on their Aadhaar card makes it easier for friends to recognise them. This is an optional prompt which we are testing. People are not required to enter the name on their Aadhaar card," said a Facebook spokesperson.

Note that Facebook isn't asking for your Aadhaar number, but just the name as per your Aadhaar card.

The association with Aadhaar, however, is expected to raise eyebrows. There have been concerns about the safety of Aadhaar data after private details of citizens were leaked on government websites and from private bodies like banks, telecom operators, insurance providers and financial organisations.

According to a government reply in Parliament in June 2017, more than 200 government websites published names of beneficiaries of welfare schemes with their addresses and Aadhaar numbers.

The government has argued that Aaadhar is necessary to plug leakages in its subsidised welfare programmes, to prevent corruption, and to protect national security.

Earlier, several users on Reddit and Twitter posted messages about Facebook's new feature. Some users, however, claim this feature was being tested since a longer time.

"FB actually does it for a long time now. India is new in this maybe. But they ask for photo ID like driver licence/passport/some others. They even ask for you to upload your real photo (by opening front camera) for verification (if your dp isn't)," claimed a user on Reddit.

"Any data is useful data . Maybe not now but in future. And I'm sure FB already has internal profiles in which they wrote entire persons' data like name address phone number aadhaar number etc," said another user while responding to a query whether Facebook has access to Aadhaar details.

How hard is it?

1. Facebook has a longstanding real names policy.

2. The average Indian's understanding of real name is what they give for Aadhaar or their bank account.

3. An Aadhaar card is meant to be id proof, unlike a bank account.

See? No conspiracy involved.

— Kiran Jonnalagadda (@jackerhack) December 27, 2017

With the number of fake profiles around its hightime tht the government should ask people to link thr aadhar card with thr facebook and instagram account @narendramodi ji please consider this #Aadhaar #pan #31stdecember 😉😉😜

— saumya thakkar (@ThakkarSaumya) December 27, 2017

Just what you need @facebook wants you to enter your name as exactly in your #Aadhaar card.https://t.co/qkOCfYf6eE pic.twitter.com/9nrszl5rsb

— Srinivas Kodali | శ్రీనివాస్ కొడాలి (@digitaldutta) December 26, 2017