News Summary

India has relaxed its restrictions on the Aadhaar authentication service, allowing businesses in sectors such as e-commerce, travel, hospitality, and healthcare to use the biometric-based verification system for customer authentication. This move, aimed at improving service delivery, has raised significant privacy concerns. The new amendment to the Aadhaar Authentication for Good Governance Rules, 2025, expands the scope of Aadhaar usage but lacks clear guidelines to prevent misuse of biometric data. Critics argue that the expansion could lead to exclusion and potential misuse, echoing concerns previously raised when Section 57 of the Aadhaar Act was struck down in 2018. The Indian government has yet to disclose the criteria for approving applications for Aadhaar authentication, further fueling concerns among privacy advocates and policy experts.