A day after some users reported that Facebook was prompting Indian users to enter their names as per Aadhaar Card when they sign up for a new account, the social media giant has said that it is not collecting Aadhaar data to link accounts.
‘We ran a small test to help new users understand how to sign up to the social network with their real name and connect with their friends and family. Some have interpreted this test as a request for people's Aadhaar information. This is not correct’, clarified Taichi Hoshino, Product Manager, Facebook.
‘The test ran with a small number of users in India and has now finished. As with all tests, we may learn new things that help us provide a better sign-up experience for people joining Facebook, but we currently have no plans to roll this test out further’, added Hoshino.
The test was active on Facebook's mobile site that prompts user to put in name as per their Aadhaar card when they sign up for a new account.
‘What's your name? Using the name on your Aadhaar card makes it easier for friends to recognise you’, the prompt reads.
‘The goal of this test was to help new users understand how to sign up to Facebook with their real name and connect with their friends and family’, Hoshino emphasised.
With 241 million active users in India, compared to 240 million in the United States, Facebook now has more users in India than the US.
While Facebook is witnessing double-digit growth in India, the social media penetration in the country is still less as compared to more developed countries.
In India, only 19 per cent of the total population is active on Facebook as compared to 73 per cent in the US, indicating a massive opportunity for Facebook to do business.
In July, then Facebook’s India MD Umang Bedi said that India holds tremendous potential for Facebook and is the most strategic market for the company.
