India’s Supreme Court imposes curbs on use of biometric identity system

India’s Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the validity of a massive biometric identity system. However, it flagged privacy concerns and curbed a government push to make it mandatory for activities such as opening bank accounts and securing cell phone connections, Reuters reported. The ruling was cheered by detractors of the system, known as Aadhaar, which has already provided biometric identities to more than a billion people, making it the world’s biggest such project. Critics fear it could spawn a surveillance state and pave the way for companies to profile clients. A majority ruling by a panel of five judges cleared the use of Aadhaar for welfare schemes, saying it empowered the poor and marginalized.