NID data leak: EC halts services for two organisations

The Election Commission (EC) has suspended NID verification services for Ansar-VDP and BRAC Bank after finding credible evidence of National Identity (NID) data leaks.

“The services (access to the NID verification services) have been suspended for the two organisations after finding credible evidence of data leaks,” said EC’s NID wing Director General ASM Humayun Kabir while talking to reporters at his office on Wednesday.

The personal data of more than 120 million people are stored in the EC’s database and a total of 186 public and private organisations now receive the NID verification services from the database.

The NID data was leaked from several other organisations in the past as well, reports UNB.

Humayun Kabir said the EC regularly monitors data access and detected the recent leak from Ansar-VDP and BRAC Bank on Tuesday. “Following proper verification, we suspended their access as per the authority’s decision,” he said, adding that an investigation is already underway.

The NID Wing chief said action will be taken as outlined in the agreements signed with them. “This is an ongoing process,” he said.