In a welcome judgement, the Supreme Court recognised the right to digital access as a fundamental right. It declared that the 'right to life' under the Constitution's Article 21 must be re-interpreted from a technological viewpoint. The court order seeks a revision in digital Know Your Customer processes to make them more inclusive and directs the Union government and Reserve Bank of India to adopt alternative methods of e-verification, other than the mandatory selfie with 'blinking eyes'. With biometric identification intrinsic to digital banking, this promises to ease the path for visually impaired, physically challenged and disfigured individuals who otherwise risk neglect. While hearing petitions from a visually impaired person and an acid attack survivor, the court placed the onus on governments to appoint departmental nodal officers to ensure digital accessibility compliance. This far-reaching judgment addresses the fear that technology is creating a new class system where sections of rural and tribal populations, senior citizens, linguistic groups, and uneducated and economically weaker sections could find themselves on the wrong side of the digital divide.
Digital tools should facilitate people and not become barriers. E-KYC is crucial to banking, education, healthcare, essential services, tax portals, travel documents, etc. It is reported that Aadhaar, while enabling large sections of the country's population to gain a digital identity, also cuts the other way, leaving the disadvantaged out in the cold. As a mandatory document, Aadhaar provides access to the government's social welfare programmes, especially the public distribution system, but in many cases, it has deprived needy families of subsidised food grains due to OTP authentication glitches. The Aadhaar-mobile number link has inadvertently created barriers in processing applications and documents, as have biometric mismatches. Accident victims who have lost their hands or suffered facial disfigurement are unable to verify their identity, while internet and mobile phone penetration in interior villages is another significant barrier.
The internet has revolutionised the world as a great equaliser, giving access to knowledge and opportunities, but it is more tuned to the urban user. Innovative technical tools like AI can make the journey even easier, but only if such software helps people access digital platforms, applications, and assisted technology. We must ensure technology does not create a digital disconnect or make the marginalised sections even more vulnerable.