Delete UIDAI number from your phone, suggests Maharashtra cyber cell
New Delhi : The cyber security cell of Maharashtra has issued an advisory, saying that if any number in the name of UIDAI has been automatically added to the mobile phone contacts, it should be deleted immediately.
In the middle of public anger over Aadhaar helpline number being pre-stored without user approval on some set of mobile phones, Google has apologised for "inadvertently" loading the old UIDAI helpline number and 112 helpline number into the 'setup wizard' of Android phones.
The UIDAI numbers can be manually deleted from the phones, Google said, ensuring to fix the issue in future editions of its setup wizard.
"Our internal review has revealed that in 2014, the then UIDAI helpline number and the 112 distress helpline number were inadvertently coded into the setup wizard of the Android release given to OEMs (Original equipment manufacturers) for use in India and has remained there since. Since the numbers get listed on a user's contact list these get transferred accordingly to the contacts on any new device," a Google spokesperson said in a statement.
On August 3, Aadhaar-issuing authority UIDAI had said it has not asked any phone maker or telecom service provider to include its toll-free number on mobile phones, as it tried to relax user concerns relating to the attack of privacy.
Telecom operators' body COAI also mentioned that none of its members had pre-loaded any unknown numbers on any mobile phone.
Report claims that many Android-operating system run mobile phones listed by default the Aadhaar helpline number 1800-300-1947.
UIDAI said the number 1800-300-1947 appearing in the contact list of Android phones was an "outdated and invalid" helpline number.
Defending itself on social media over the default addition of the number in mobile phone contact list, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) had said that, "...the said 18003001947 is not a valid UIDAI toll free number and some vested interests are trying to create unwarranted confusion in the public".
The UIDAI's valid toll free number is 1947, which is functional for more than the last two years, it had said.
