In a first, social networking giant Facebook India is asking new users to register their first and last names based on their Aadhaar card! The move has been taken by the website to ensure that people can use the names they are known by on Facebook so that they can easily connect with their friends and families. The development was confirmed to the indianexpress.com by a Facebook spokesperson who said that the company is prompting users to sign-up with their Aadhaar name, as part of a small test. However, entering the same name as that on Aadhaar is not compulsory and users can choose to ignore the prompt, if they wish to.
This new prompt was first noticed by a user on Reditt who even posted a screenshot on the website which read: “Using the name on your Aadhaar card makes it easier for friends to recognise you.” However, no such prompt can be seen on the website as of now which means that the feature might be available to only a few users in the first phase.
“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,” the statement from Facebook read.
However, it has to be remembered that Facebook is not asking users for any other information apart from their first and last name on the Aadhaar card. Interestingly, the development comes at a time when the government is pushing to mandate linking Aadhaar number with bank accounts, PAN card, mobile number, as well as various schemes.
Currently, Facebook is one of the largest social networking platforms globally, with over 201 million active users in India.
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