By The Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) raised strong objections on Sunday to the Sri Lankan government’s plan to grant Indian companies access to Sri Lankans’ biometric data under the proposed Unitary Digital Identity Framework project.
FSP Education Secretary Pubudu Jayagoda expressed concerns:
“The High Commissioner of India confirmed an Indian company would print national ID cards with biometrics soon,” Jayagoda said, citing media reports.
“The MoU with India dictates the vendor must be an Indian company,” he highlighted, referencing the 2023 agreement.
“We don’t think the state has the right to access biometrics without a court order,” Jayagoda emphasized, raising privacy concerns.
“This raises national security implications, granting a foreign state access to invaluable data,” Jayagoda warned.
Call to Action:
“The project nearly went to a blacklisted Indian company, prompting public outrage,” Jayagoda noted, criticizing the tender process.
“No other country shares biometric data with foreign entities,” Jayagoda stated, underlining the uniqueness of the agreement.
“Singapore, despite collecting biometrics, strictly safeguards data from foreign access,” Jayagoda compared, urging similar protections for Sri Lanka.
Jayagoda concluded with a call to action:
“We urge people to not give their biometrics to any foreign company,” Jayagoda appealed, advocating for data protection.
