Myanmar: Human Rights Analysis of Biometric Digital ID Systems date, address, nationality and gender.69 According to a June 2020 news report, new rules will now require users to have their fingerprints scanned when they register for SIM cards; facial photos will also be stored for “biographic information”.70 The information collected is stored in a biometric database. The Posts and Telecommunications Department (PTD) of the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) is reportedly drawing upon the Universal Service Fund to provide financing for the SIM card biometric database.71 The PTD’s tender for bids to provide biometric data storage closed on 9 June 2020.72 The PTD said that the database, which must be capable of storing up to 60 million biometric records, would be implemented six months after a contract with the winning bidder had been signed.73 Other than the SIM card database, biometric data has reportedly been collected as part of the National Verification Card issuance program since October 2017.74 3. Comparative Case Studies 3.1 India India’s digital ID regime, known as ‘Aadhaar’, assigns a 12-digit ID number to each resident of India. It does not have any link to citizenship or immigration status and is instead based solely on residence (specifically having lived in India for at least 182 days during the past one year).75 The ID number is linked to biometric data (fingerprints and iris scans and, more recently, facial images) as well as other data (name, address and date of birth but not race or religion).76 Verifying a person’s identity then requires both the Aadhaar number and another means of verification, such as a fingerprint, iris scan or a one-time password sent to the user’s mobile phone and these need to match when compared to the stored data to verify identity.77 Aadhaar is used not only by the 69 Myanmar Times, SIM Card Registration to be Enforced in 2017, 3 August 2016. Available at: https://www.mmtimes.com/business/technology/21728-sim-card-registration-to-be-enforced-in-2017.html. 70 Myanmar Times, Myanmar Diverts Special Telecoms Fund Biometrics Database, 11 June 2020. Available at: https://www.mmtimes.com/news/myanmar-diverts-special-telecoms-fund-biometrics-database.html. 71 Ibid. 72 Myanmar Times, Myanmar Wants Mobile User Biometrics, 5 December 2019. Available at: https://www.mmtimes.com/news/myanmar-wants-mobile-user-biometrics.html. 73 Myanmar Times, Myanmar Diverts Special Telecoms Fund Biometrics Database, note 70. 74 Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, note 40. See also President Office, Republic of the Union of Myanmar, National Verification Cards in Maungtaw. Available at: https://www.presidentoffice.gov.mm/en/?q=issues/rakhine-state-affairs/id-8047. 75 Aadhaar Act, Section 2(v) and 9. Available at: https://uidai.gov.in/images/targeted_delivery_of_financial_and_other_subsidies_benefits_and_services_13072016.p df. 76 Privacy International, Initial Analysis of Indian Supreme Court decision on Aadhaar, 26 September 2018. Available at: https://privacyinternational.org/long-read/2299/initial-analysis-indian-supreme-court-decision-aadhaar. 77 Aria Thaker, Aadhaar’s Most Common Use is also One of its Most Dangerous Problems, 25 September 2018, Quartz India. Available at: https://qz.com/india/1399518/whatever-indias-supreme-court-says-aadhaar-was-never-aphoto-id/. - 13 -