[libranof1987]

I just came across this article in ToI; haven't really heard/read about "DigiLocker" earlier.

You will soon be able to drive without having to carry your driving licence and registration certificate (RC) of the vehicle by keeping them in 'DigiLocker'+ . These documents kept in the secured national digital locker system can be verified by traffic police and other law enforcing agencies in case of need.

The transport and IT ministries will launch this system on Wednesday. DigiLockers help you consolidate all your important papers at one place. You just need to have an aadhaar card linked to your cell number to open an account.

ources said once this service starts, it will help spot verification of DLs and RCs directly in the users' mobile phone from the national registry of vehicle and drivers' data. "The verifying official needs to have the mobile app to check the authenticity of the soft documents. The IT ministry will launch the app soon," a transport ministry official said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/N.../54023618.cms?

Not sure what the objective of this has been; nor the efficacy of the whole process. A digital locker, or cloud solution of sorts, just so people don't have to carry their physical DLs? Doesn't really sound like a value add. Even in developed countries do drivers carry all original documents along with them. What makes the whole process easier is the access law enforcement has to the data: with the license plate, police can look up driver/vehicle registration.

Also, the DL is a very handy document to carry around; as an ID/address proof, be it at the bank or the airport.

And the big elephant in the room- what about data privacy and security?

[hserus]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

I just came across this article in ToI; haven't really heard/read about "DigiLocker" earlier.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/N.../54023618.cms?

And tied to your aadhaar. Given sarkari notions of "cybersecurity" - god help us all if that system ever gets breached / hacked into.

I for one will leave my RC book and DL just where they are, in my pockets.

[Zappo]

Different people will have different take on this. It starts with Telangana. Specifically Hyderabad. The cops here launched an app that had these (digilocker) and a few other facilities. It caught on with the masses and started gaining popularity. The national government noted the same and given the current dispensations penchant for anything digital it got adopted with some changes for a launch across the country.

Now, the benefits are many. Besides being an eLocker that frees you up from carrying the physical documents everywhere and the ensuing risk of losing the same it also makes the authorities to be able to track you down end to end. So a vehicle registered in a different state can be issued an eChallan and the owner can be reached out to easily if he/she is on this platform. By the way, this e-format of the document will have the same sanctity as the physical format. Think of it as the eCopy of your ticket that you can show at the airport entry. Only that this is even more secure.

I personally never bought on to this whole thing for many reasons. Primary one being the security of the platform. We still do not know how secured a public cloud based system like this is going to be when run by the government. I would rather wait and watch for now. Of course, there are many other allied risks that I can think of. For starters in a country like India, where privacy norms have zero value, I would be extremely leery of connecting and securing my vault with my aadhar. Remember, aadhar also links your bank accounts, subsidy accounts and now even income tax and passport. That's a mine field I don't want to venture into just yet.

[centaur]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

I just came across this article in ToI; haven't really heard/read about "DigiLocker" earlier.

Digilocker is around 1.5 years old now if I am not mistaken. I remember seeing this sometime in early 2015 and infact did even create my account but never uploaded any documents. If major defence sites can be hacked and information siphoned off, then this is elementary for most hackers and I wouldnt really trust my documents in there.

Also this is not limited just to RC and DL but to every document/certificate you might need across in your daily life like all your educational documents etc.

[naveenroy]

Only problem in all this - that it is again linked to Aadhar. Something that is unlawful - this same govt opposed it when in opposition, now they are hellbent on applying it to all and sundry! I will rather carry my DL and RC in my pockets - they sit so well in the wallet, it is no trouble at all!

[bordeaux]

Please don't get carried away and ditch physical copies of your license and RC especially when you are travelling to a state whose native language you don't understand. Good luck explaining digilocker to a cop in a remote area where they think Haryana is a village in North India

[hserus]

Originally Posted by bordeaux

Please don't get carried away and ditch physical copies of your license and RC especially when you are travelling to a state whose native language you don't understand. Good luck explaining digilocker to a cop in a remote area where they think Haryana is a village in North India

They think the south is all "madraas" so

But yes - excellent advice even in big cities with cops expected to be more aware of such things.

Sarkari systems will use BSNL for connectivity. I just got back today afternoon from a PSU bank that had to shut early for the day AND atm wasn't available because "BSNL network problem saar".

Good luck getting any BSNL problem fixed all that fast. Certainly not in the time when the cop is asking you whether you think it is your father's road and demanding your license in the same breath.

[The Rationalist]

I'm having a digilocker account from last year, haven't uploaded anything yet. Will definitely upload my driving licence, as my current licence is a book type which is nearing 16 years, getting a new one have to wait for few more years. If this helps me to keep the licence at home, I'm all for it.

And people worrying about your details getting hacked, it is possible even without this. And with all the online shopping , your details are freely available for small change. And mind you neither RTO nor IT Dept have CIA grade secure systems..

[Whiplash7]

Though we consider the cyber security aspect of it everyday we are unknowingly being very susceptible to identity theft. Every where you give a photocopy of your DL or other documents it is possible that it could be used also for other purposes like procuring a SIM card for someone else, or for marketing databases. I read somewhere that when giving photocopies of your documents you should always write the purpose on the photo copy so that it cannot be used for any other purpose.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by Whiplash7

Though we consider the cyber security aspect of it everyday we are unknowingly being very susceptible to identity theft. Every where you give a photocopy of your DL or other documents it is possible that it could be used also for other purposes like procuring a SIM card for someone else, or for marketing databases. I read somewhere that when giving photocopies of your documents you should always write the purpose on the photo copy so that it cannot be used for any other purpose.

It is trivially easy to edit such things out when scanning a document and using photoshop if you write such text across your ID proof.

If you write such text UNDER the photocopied region of your ID (on whatever white paper remains on the page) it is even more easy to simply fold the paper and make a fresh photocopy.

And if you obscure your photograph or your signature it becomes useless for the purpose such a document is sought - ID verification.

So while writing such endorsements sounds like an interesting idea, it isn't always useful.

I know all the horror stories about bhelpuri being wrapped in KYC proof documents outside the back office of a certain large telco, for example. And as a security professional I keep shuddering when I make copies of my bank statements, passport, tax returns etc for one visa after the other, just hoping that the various consulates and embassies (and their private vendor VFS) have sufficiently good guidelines on how to securely dispose of confidential paper based data. Hoping against hope, I might add.

For example - back in 2007 - when I was a rather regular traveler - this was the state of VFS.

http://www.statewatch.org/news/2007/...ity-report.pdf

And yet another such issue in 2015. https://www.theguardian.com/technolo...ice-contractor

Once you run so many risks with your privacy you just hang on and pray for the best. If you work in internet security - well, you become hyper aware of security risks that you absolutely cannot minimize or even influence in any manner, that are totally beyond your control.

[Mortis]

Well atleast traffic cops wont be able to grab your phyisical license and walk off while concocting a way to extract money from you. so +1

[drive_angry]

So if we think about it, next they are going to digitize the challan system completely. No more paper based challans, right?

I think the government needs to shed more light as to how this system is going to be implemented. I won't be surprised if they come up with some ridiculous idea like in case of solving Delhi's pollution problem (2000CC Diesel Ban).

P.S. I cannot find an App with the name of DigiLocker on iOS platform. Is it exclusively launched for Android?

drive_angry

[DriveOnceMore]

Can someone share official link of app?
There are tons of apps named DigiLocker in Google Play

[phamilyman]

Originally Posted by DriveOnceMore

Can someone share official link of app?
There are tons of apps named DigiLocker in Google Play

Here you are:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...locker.android

link picked up from https://digilocker.gov.in

[hserus]

Originally Posted by drive_angry

So if we think about it, next they are going to digitize the challan system completely. No more paper based challans, right?

As I see it, the cops have been using those pos terminal (credit card swipe machine) sort of gadgets that are used to generate printed receipts, for ages.

Those are not all that easy to fudge so what the cop does is either take your money and not give you a challan at all, or grab Rs 500 and give you a challan for Rs 50 or something similar.