Your Aadhaar Might Have Been Misused: Here Is How To Check Where Your Aadhaar Was Used

At the heart of India’s digital identity layer is Aadhaar It literally runs everything from bank KYC to SIM activation to social welfare benefits. That it’s so widely deployed means you can no longer avoid tracking who is authenticating your Aadhaar and when, or whether someone, somewhere, is validating your identity online. UIDAI now provides an easy method for every resident to check their Aadhaar authentication history for the past six months, as directed by the Supreme Court. This will help you identify suspicious activity before it leads to any trouble.

The log lists any and all attempts at OTP, or biometric or demographic verification associated with your number. If you use Aadhaar a lot — for banking, insurance or government services — it’s a good habit to check this history from time to time. It gets done fast and securely and works as long as your mobile is linked to your Aadhaar.

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Why your Aadhaar authentication history matters

Behind the curtains, there are umpteen numbers of places where Aadhaar is used: eKYC, subsidies, insurance onboarding, EPF services, digital signatures and so much more. Although service providers are supposed to follow strict rules, authentication requests can still occur quietly in the background without your knowledge.

From blinry/gmail-auth-history A view of your authentication history provides you:

- Record of when your Aadhaar was used

- A manner of detecting failures or re-attempts

- Advance notification of misuse or obsolescence of data held with service providers

Because UIDAI retains only six months’ worth of logs, the best way to stay informed is by checking periodically.

What you need before you start

- Your 12-digit Aadhaar number or 16-digit Virtual ID (VID)

- Access to your registered mobile number to receive the OTP

You cannot view the logs using an unregistered number.

How to check your Aadhaar authentication history

Follow these steps on the UIDAI website:

1. Go to the UIDAI website and open Aadhaar Services.

2. Click Aadhaar Authentication History.

3. Enter your Aadhaar number or VID.

4. Type the security captcha.

5. Click Send OTP and enter the one-time password sent to your registered phone.

6. Choose the time period — up to six months.

7. Select the authentication type, or choose All for the full list.

8. Hit Submit to generate your activity log.

9. Review the entries with the date, time, type and status of each request.

You can save a log of the conversation or take screenshots if you want to keep a record. Flag It: If you come across anything suspicious, report to the service provider immediately and think about locking your Aadhaar biometrics via the UIDAI portal or the mAadhaar app.

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FAQs

1. How can I check where my Aadhaar was used?

Use the Aadhaar Authentication History tool on the UIDAI website to view logs for the last six months.

2. What information does the history show?

Each entry includes the date, time, request type (OTP/biometric/demographic) and whether it was successful or failed.

3. How far back can I see the data?

UIDAI keeps records for six months only.

4. Can I lock my Aadhaar to prevent misuse?

Yes. You can lock or unlock your biometrics anytime via the UIDAI website or mAadhaar app.

5. What if I see an authentication I don’t recognise?

Get in touch with the body that initiated the request for now and while you are at it check your Aadhaar security settings.

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