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Aadhaar: Who is pushing UIDAI helpline number on your mobile phones without consent?
Moneylife Digital Team 03 August 2018
Public Interest
Post the challenge from RS Sharma, Chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to harm him through his Aadhaar number, it has now come to fore that the helpline number (1800-300-1947) of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), is getting automatically saved in contact list on several mobile phones. While, some mobile phones, like Realme from Oppo, certainly come preloaded with the UIDAI number, some people are finding this number when they update software of their mobile devices from Motorola, OnePlus, Samsung and Nokia. Few user of iPhone also found this helpline number on their mobiles.
 
Interestingly, this 'default' helpline number found in mobile phones is 'temporarily not available' as UIDAI uses 1947 as its toll free helpline number.  
 
French hacker Elliot Alderson (@fs0c131y) asked people on Twitter if they had the UIDAI helpline in their phonebooks. 
 
 
 
Within hours, many people shared screenshots and confirmed it was indeed the case for Android phones. However, it is not clear how the UIDAI helpline number got into their phonebooks without their explicit consent.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Earlier in March 2016, as per suggestion from the TRAI, the Telecom Commission allowed use of 112 as single emergency number for all services like police, fire and ambulance. In addition, some emergency numbers, which are allowed in India, are 100 for Police, 101 for fire, 102 for ambulance, 108 for disaster management, 181 for women's helpline, 182 for Railway helpline, 1097 for AIDS helpline, and 1098 for child helpline. 
 
The Department of Telecom (DoT) had directed  all telecom service providers to map 112, the single emergency number with existing emergency numbers in all states and union territories. The project was to be made operational by all States and UTs under the supervision of Ministry of Home Affairs through Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).
 
When an emergency call is received at the PSAP, it would be answered by a specially trained officer, call taker or operator of respective state and UT that will transfer the call on the type of emergency, dispatchers to police, fire medical and other response mechanisms.
 
However, there is no mention of UIDAI helpline number in any of these mandatory contact numbers in any mobile phones or on the SIM cards. 
 
Even the Draft National Digital Communications Policy-2018, talks about unified emergency response mechanism through 112 services in all areas. There is no mention of UIDIA's helpline number anywhere.
 
Arnav Gupta, co-founder at Coding Blocks, who had earlier worked at Micromax developing handsets, told the Business Standard that phone manufacturers are unlikely to add UIDAI helpline number in mobile devices on their own. “Every Android phone tries to connect to the internet and as soon as it does, it downloads a basic list of emergency contacts of each country. In India, it is distress number 112 and the UIDAI helpline,” Gupta told the newspaper.
 
He also explained that the government would have had to issue some guidelines to phone manufacturers to download this specific number, even as some operators seemed to be loading the UIDAI helpline in the SIM card as well.
 
Moneylife sent emails to UIDAI CEO Dr Ajay Bhushan Pandey and senior officials from DoT and TRAI. We will update this article with their responses as and when we receive it. 
 
Meanwhile, UIDAI in a statement on Twitter, clarified that 18003001947 is not its valid toll free number and some vested interest are trying to create unwarranted confusion in the public. "UIDAI has not asked or communicated to any manufacturer or service provider for providing any such facility whatsoever. We have not asked or advised anyone including any telecom service providers or mobile manufacturers or Android to include  18003001947 or 1947 in the default list of public service numbers," it added.
 
Replying to UIDAI, Mr Alderson, the French hacker, said, press statement issued by the Authority in 2014 shows setting up of a helpline with toll free numbers 18003001947 or short code 1947.
 
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Comments
Abhijit
4 years ago
Chill.
Google admitted that in 2014 it coded the 112 distress number and the UIDAI number into its setup wizard for Android.
Reply
Ajay Sharma
Replied to Abhijit comment 4 years ago
When was the UIDAI helpline number release to the public?
Reply
Saurabh Chauhan
4 years ago
My view is some what different. Actually the problem gets elevated as most of us are using our mobile phones for social interactions, money transfers and other financial transactions. What if the data is being watched with an intention to misuse. What if our bank accounts are hijacked and used for some anti national or terror funding sort of things. In this way neither our money is safe nor are we. Seems that our social and economical privacy is compromised.
Reply
Madhur
4 years ago
Nothing in the article justifies the speculative justification given: that UID helpline number is a basic helpline.

Why exactly is UID helpline number considered a basic emergency number? By anyone.
Reply
Gopinathan Padmanabhan
4 years ago
There's a need to unmask this Elliot Anderson, who's taking undue interest in this UIDAI phone book issue and all other cyber security related issues in India.
Reply
Madhur
Replied to Gopinathan Padmanabhan comment 4 years ago
I am surprised that this is your only concern.

Do you find no need to unmask how the UID helpline number found its way into everyone\'s contacts?

Do you find no problem in knowing that someone, somewhere can add or delete your contacts without you even knowing?

Would you not like to know what else this person or institution can do to your phone?

What if they can fake your voice, make calls from your phone, and get you incriminated in some case - without you even knowing?
Reply
Debo C
Replied to Madhur comment 4 years ago
That has already been unmasked and the merry bunch of conspiracy theorists is left naked in public eye. chill
Reply
Seetharaman V
Replied to Gopinathan Padmanabhan comment 4 years ago
I agree with this. Aadhar is India's internal matter and in fact required for every citizen. Legal action required against this guy.
Reply
Shrik S
Replied to Gopinathan Padmanabhan comment 4 years ago
This is a thought even I consider appropriate.why has he gained so much popularity behind the name, mask and whatever his work is, he has captured people imagination as a savior and no one technically is unmasking him, including Indian Ethical Hackers
Reply
Anindya Bhattacharya
4 years ago
We need to know apart from UIDAI helpline number automatic update in individual SIM / mobile phones what else it is capable of. I am scared if individual's bank account details can also be auto downloaded to somebody else' SIM / Mobile.
Reply
B. KRISHNAN
4 years ago
Heavens r not going to fall if I have UDAI helplines number in my handset by default. What is the hidden 'iceberg ' Mr. Alderson is alluding to? Some people r out to discredit AADHAR by fair means or foul!
Reply
Shrik S
Replied to B. KRISHNAN comment 4 years ago
You have a point there but coming to terms with what can happen if your data is leaked,given willingly by you and misused through any medium for that matter, is different from someone gaining access to all interconnected database links from 1 Primary Key. It's giving someone a key to the lock of your house when the key is unassumingly disguised as your personal data. You are probably well aware of this and may be safe enough till it may come home in some form, if not directly from Aadhar
Reply
Debo C
Replied to Shrik S comment 4 years ago
Helpline leaking data? Seriously? Only a Morin who is careless with is/her data and merrily types away in online portals everything about his great great grandfather needs to worry - nothing to do with UID though
Reply
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