The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has rolled out a new Aadhaar mobile application that enables age verification in line with the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, without requiring users to share additional personal data.
Speaking at the launch, the secretary, Ministry of Electronics and IT, said the government has amended the Aadhaar Authentication for Good Governance (Social Welfare, Innovation, Knowledge) Rules, 2020, also known as the Swik Rules, to allow private entities to offer services using Aadhaar-based authentication in a secure manner.
He added that several companies are already developing solutions based on the updated framework and showcased demonstrations at the Aadhaar event.
The age-gating feature is expected to help digital platforms such as social media networks, online gaming companies and e-commerce firms verify user age before offering services. It will also support efforts to limit children’s access to age-inappropriate content and products.
UIDAI said the app, now available on mobile app stores, will allow individuals and service providers such as hotels, cinema halls and online platforms to carry out digital identity verification.
The authority said the app is designed to reduce reliance on physical Aadhaar copies, which are commonly used by various entities for identity checks.
Furthermore, the UIDAI chief executive said in addition to simplifying Aadhaar services such as address and mobile number updates, the app enables secure digital verification and allows only the necessary information to be shared with service providers.
