Digital Payment Systems and Privacy Concerns

India's success in digital payments, exemplified by the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and the Aadhaar card, evokes national pride. However, concerns arise regarding its implications for privacy and surveillance.

Aadhaar: A Double-Edged Sword

• The book, The Identity Project: The Unmaking of a Democracy, argues Aadhaar enables state surveillance through centralized biometric data collection.
• Dissent on Aadhaar: Big Data Meets Big Brother presents critiques by experts from various fields on the Aadhaar project.
• critiques see Aadhaar as "a leap into barbarism", suggesting it excludes rather than includes vulnerable populations.

Government's Stance and Digital Infrastructure

• The government argues Aadhaar is for identification, not profiling, and uses advanced encryption for data protection.
• The success of Aadhaar/UPI is attributed to state action, aided by initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, which linked bank accounts to digital platforms.

Data Privacy and Consent Issues

• A recent California jury verdict against Google for unauthorized data use highlights the shift towards "explicit and informed consent".
• Implications for tech companies include potentially needing to justify data use and offering users transparent data control options.

European Context and Implications for India

• The European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) reflects historical fears of data misuse by states.
• Discussion on whether India needs similar user permission legislation, even for public systems like Aadhaar and UPI, to protect data privacy.