Biometrics Creating a Police State in India

On the surface, biometric IDs seem like a good idea for combating fraud.  The idea is that you don't have to worry about surveillance if you have nothing to hide.  Unfortunately, this only works if the government that controls every aspect of your life is benevolent.  But, we have seen that governments are not benevolent.  They are run by people who pursue their own interests above the interests of the citizens.  The result is an intrusive government that controls every aspect of your life and leaves you little personal choice.  

Between KYC, Aadhaar and CMS, India Will be a Police State

What is the main purpose of issuing citizens a passport? The idea, as the name suggests, is to enable a you and me to pass through another country's port. It helps identify one as a citizen of a country, so that other countries know where you or I belong. The passport is one country's guarantee to another that it is responsible for the person carrying the document.

But surprise! Thanks to stringent identity checks everywhere, the soft police state that India has become is forcing many citizens to carry their passports around to get into domestic airports, buy gold or start a bank account. From being an external validation document, the passport has become a domestic ID document.

What is the purpose of issuing taxpayers a PAN card? The idea is to give them a unique number so that their transactions can be matched, mapped and checked through backend software for potential tax evasion. But in India, the PAN card now travels in wallets, jostling for space with cash, credit cards and driving licences.

The PAN card has also become a primary identity confirmer. It is an essential requirement for opening bank accounts, or doing any kind of high-value financial transaction, but its largest role is about establishing identity. And getting it in future will become harder, Business Standard assures us.

What is the purpose of the Aadhaar card? It is proof of identity and residence — not citizenship. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) collects the biometrics of individuals residing in India—iris prints, fingerprints, demographic details, etc.—and issues you a unique number with which you can be identified anywhere and for validating any transaction. It is the ultimate weapon a police state can possess and currently the Aadhaar card operates under no law, and has no legislation to protect the privacy of your data.

It is a rogue element in the pack.

http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/features/between-kyc-aadhaarcms-india-will-bepolice-state_905953.html