Facebook has started testing a new prompt asking new users in India to sign up using their real name as mentioned on the Aadhaar card. The move comes amidst the ongoing debate whether Aadhaar should be made mandatory for anything beyond mandatory services. The new sign up process encouraged users to use the name on their Aadhaar card but didn’t ask for 12-digit Aadhaar number or other personal details.
Facebook is testing a new “name as per Aadhaar” prompt when users create a new account on its mobile site. The prompt reads “What’s your name? Using the name on your Aadhaar card makes it easier for friends to recognize you.” The mobile version of Facebook with Aadhaar prompt was first spotted by Reddit users and consequently shared on Twitter.
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Facebook says the new Aadhaar name prompt is designed to curb the number of fake accounts on its social media platform. Facebook has over two billion active users but India is its largest market with over 241 million active users.
The social networking giant says the move will encourage users to sign up with their real identity. “We want to make sure people can use the names they’re known by on Facebook, and can easily connect with friends and family. This is a small test where we provide additional language when people sign up for an account to say that using the name on their Aadhaar card makes it easier for friends to recognize them. This is an optional prompt which we are testing, people are not required to enter the name on their Aadhaar card,” a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement.
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The prompt is being seen by only a small number of users and it even seems that Facebook is curtailing on its widespread testing since it was spotted by Reddit users. Facebook makes it clear that using the name mentioned on Aadhaar is optional and the only goal is to make sure that people sign up with their real name.
The mobile site only asks users to sign up with their real name as seen on their Aadhaar ID and doesn’t request for Aadhaar details. The Silicon Valley giant is steering away from Aadhaar privacy issues here but it is not clear what Facebook gains by particularly mentioning Aadhaar in its sign-up page.
Aadhaar was conceived to be a unified ID for Indians that would aid in availing critical benefits from the government. However, it was not designed to be used as a verification tool on social media platforms. Facebook has not clarified whether it sought permission from the government or UIDAI before showing Aadhaar prompt to a small set of users.
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