HYDERABAD: Data security researchers claim the Telangana government has secured Aadhaar-like digital identity, facial recognition with colour photographs and data from the Election Commission of India (ECI) database. Real Time Digital Authentication of Identity (RTDAI), which sources information from Samagra Vedika database, violates privacy, they allege.
Government documents reveal Telangana’s smart governance platform ‘Samagram’ is an adaptation of ‘X Road’ of Estonia. However, information technology (IT) secretary Jayesh Ranjan has denied the allegations.
“Telangana has dedicated its new Aadhaar-like RTDAI using facial recognition to the public. The state is issuing these new digital identity systems to people, but their consent has not been taken. This is a continuing practice from Hyderabad police, which had access to EC photos through Telangana’s new digital ID,” data security researcher Srinivas Kodali said.
“Colour photographs from ECI are used for de-duplication of pensioners in Telangana with a digital ID based on facial recognition. All without any law and with impunity. Two years ago, I had approached the Telangana high court asking them to delete all ECI data shared with the government. The case is still pending,” he said
The government has denied use of ECI data in building RTDAI. “Since biometric cannot be used due to touch restrictions during the pandemic, it is being substituted by using facial recognition. RTDAI tool, the government operates, neither uses Aaadhar or ECI data. ECI data can be used if RTDA is to be used to validate a voter for elections,” IT principal secretary Jayesh Ranjan said.
Government documents reveal Telangana’s smart governance platform ‘Samagram’ is an adaptation of ‘X Road’ of Estonia. However, information technology (IT) secretary Jayesh Ranjan has denied the allegations.
“Telangana has dedicated its new Aadhaar-like RTDAI using facial recognition to the public. The state is issuing these new digital identity systems to people, but their consent has not been taken. This is a continuing practice from Hyderabad police, which had access to EC photos through Telangana’s new digital ID,” data security researcher Srinivas Kodali said.
“Colour photographs from ECI are used for de-duplication of pensioners in Telangana with a digital ID based on facial recognition. All without any law and with impunity. Two years ago, I had approached the Telangana high court asking them to delete all ECI data shared with the government. The case is still pending,” he said
The government has denied use of ECI data in building RTDAI. “Since biometric cannot be used due to touch restrictions during the pandemic, it is being substituted by using facial recognition. RTDAI tool, the government operates, neither uses Aaadhar or ECI data. ECI data can be used if RTDA is to be used to validate a voter for elections,” IT principal secretary Jayesh Ranjan said.
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