India’s growing use of AI raises privacy concernsCEFR B1
23 Apr 2026
Adapted from Rezwan, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by ADITYA PRAKASH, Unsplash
Events in 2025 and early 2026 showed AI systems moving fast into everyday public life in India. In February 2026, the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi brought leaders and policymakers together. At the same time, Delhi Police deployed large numbers of AI-enabled cameras, used facial recognition and real-time video analytics, and operated multiple control rooms and wearable devices to match faces against police databases and send instant alerts.
Rights groups and investigators documented broader AI use around the country. Project Panoptic recorded many government contracts for facial recognition by 2024, and organisations summarised incidents in 2025 that show increasing surveillance in travel and public spaces. The DigiYatra app links Aadhaar IDs, boarding passes and face biometrics at airports, and reports say passengers are often encouraged to enrol; a large share of the DigiYatra Foundation is privately owned, placing it outside the Right to Information Act, according to one report.
Investigations by media outlets found facial recognition failed to identify some women when faces changed because of pregnancy, illness or ageing. India’s Integrated Child Development Services serves about 47 million pregnant women, nursing mothers and young children, and after a facial recognition step was added in July 2025 almost half of intended beneficiaries had not received food by the end of 2025 because the system did not match their faces.
India uses a mix of laws and guidelines rather than a single AI law. The government issued India AI Governance Guidelines as non-binding guidance in November 2025 and has proposed the Artificial Intelligence (Ethics and Accountability) Bill, 2025. Rights groups say safeguards remain largely voluntary and call for clearer legal protections and oversight.
Difficult words
- surveillance — continuous watching or monitoring of people or places
- facial recognition — technology that identifies people by their faces
- biometrics — physical or biological measurements used for identity
- safeguard — measure to protect people or rightssafeguards
- non-binding — not legally required or enforceable
- beneficiary — person who receives help or public benefitsbeneficiaries
- analytics — analysis of data to find useful information
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you think using facial recognition at airports is acceptable? Why or why not?
- How could failures in facial recognition affect people who need public services, such as food or health support?
- What rules or protections would you suggest to make AI use safer while still letting governments use the technology?
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