Soon, you may need to give fingerprints to buy SIM cards

The government is exploring the option of making it compulsory for telecom service providers to take fingerprint or any other biometric feature of the subscriber when he/she applies for a new mobile connection. File photo

The government is exploring the option of making it compulsory for telecom service providers to take fingerprint or any other biometric feature of the subscriber when he/she applies for a new mobile connection.

The Department of Telecom (DoT) recently received a suggestion from Ministry of Home Affairs indicating that a central database be maintained by DoT of all subscribers that maintains bio-metric parameters akin to the ‘Aadhaar' system, the Minister of State for Communications and IT Milind Deora said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

This would entail taking fingerprint/thumb impression or any other unique bio-metric feature of the subscriber when he/she applies for a mobile connection, he said, adding that the suggestion “is presently being examined in DoT and decision on the same is yet to be taken”.

The DoT had last year made it mandatory for a mobile service provider to physically verify an applicant before issuing a SIM card. However, there have been reports of the process not being adhered to.

Source : The Hindu