Internet Freedom Foundation warns of potential voter disenfranchisement

The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) has raised concerns about a new initiative by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to link Aadhaar numbers with Voter ID cards. The organization fears this linkage could lead to voter disenfranchisement and misuse of personal data. Apar Gupta, the founder of IFF, criticized the ECI’s approach, suggesting it does not consider the real-life challenges faced by many voters. Gupta described the initiative as risky, warning that it might allow for state surveillance and could exclude many eligible voters from the electoral process. The ECI announced on March 18, 2025, that it would work with various government bodies to implement this linkage, claiming it is voluntary. However, IFF argues that the reality is different, pointing to a new form that voters must fill out, which implicitly pressures them to share their Aadhaar information. IFF highlighted previous issues with Aadhaar, including problems with welfare benefits and errors in biometric authentication. They warned that using Aadhaar for voting could repeat these mistakes, as past attempts to link Aadhaar at the state level led to many eligible voters being removed from electoral rolls. The foundation also noted that Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship and linking it to voter registration could result in non-citizens being added to the voter rolls while excluding legitimate voters. Moreover, IFF criticized the lack of transparency regarding how the ECI is handling Aadhaar-linked data. Gupta emphasized the need for better oversight of how political parties use this data, calling for a rights-based approach to protect voters. As of now, the ECI has not addressed the concerns raised by IFF.