The Mystery behind Addition of UIDAI Contact in Your Smartphone Resolved - Google Takes Responsibility

Hours after the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) denied that it compelled any smartphone manufacturers or telecom service providers to add a toll-free helpline number into user’s contact lists, Google accepted that it had in 2014 inadvertently coded the 112 distress number and the UIDAI number into its setup wizard for Android, thereby ending the controversy surrounding the mysterious entry of the UIDAI number in the contact lists of many smartphone users around the country.

 

A few hours back, smartphone users across the country started noticing a UIDAI number saved in their contact list. The issue came to the forefront after French security expert, Elliot Alderson, asked UIDAI how the helpline number was predefined in the contact list by default in phones of people, with different providers, with and without an Aadhaar card and without the mAadhaar app installed. Twitter started bubbling with the new development after a massive protest due to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Chairman R.S. Sharma’s open Aadhaar challenge to critics and hackers. It was as if UIDAI contact was adding fuel to the fire. Even I got a bit jittery after a quick check revealed UIDAI existing in my Android’s contact list too. As a natural reflex, I attempted to delete the contact and it worked to my amazement. Then I checked in other devices which sync with the same Google contacts to ensure successful deletion from all the gadgets.

UIDAI's response came after people on social media questioned why the number was being saved by default in people’s contact list on Android phones. UIDAI emphasized that the said number 18003001947 is not a valid UIDAI toll-free number and some vested interest are trying to create unwarranted confusion in the public. Their valid toll-free number is 1947 which is functional for more than the last two years.

 

According to Google, their internal review has revealed that in 2014, the then UIDAI helpline number and the 112 distress helpline number were inadvertently coded into the SetUp wizard of the Android release given to OEMs for use in India and has remained there since. Since the numbers get listed on a user’s contact list these get transferred accordingly to the contacts on any new device. Google's acceptance comes in the form of huge relief for not just shaky phone users, but for UIDAI which was facing severe criticism from common people.

 

Apologising for any concern that the issue might have caused, the statement from a Google spokesperson said that it would like to assure everyone that this is not a situation of an unauthorized access of their Android devices. Users can manually delete the number from their devices. The statement said Google will work towards fixing this in an upcoming release of SetUp wizard which will be made available to OEMs over the next few weeks as a priority.

 

The UIDAI helpline number was reported in the contacts list of an iPhone 8 and iPhone X. However, the helpline number could not be found on other devices like the iPhone 7, Mi A1, etc. A quick search for UIDAI on Google Contacts landed some users upon the UIDAI email help@uidai.gov.in., though no mail had ever been received or sent to the said address. This email ID has been synced in April 2014, endorsing Google’s statement.

 

It’s sad that even after UIDAI’s clarification and Google’s admission, the controversial comments continue to flood the social media specifically from users who may not be having the patience to read the actual reports.