New Delhi — Former US intelligence contractor turned whistle-blower Edward Snowden joined critics of India’s digital ID programme as the nation’s top court is due to decide on its legality. Snowden on Tuesday tweeted in support of an Indian journalist who faces police charges after she reported that personal details of more than a billion citizens enrolled in the programme could be illegally accessed for just $8 paid through a digital wallet. Named Aadhaar, the programme is backed by the world’s biggest biometric database, which operator Unique Identification Authority of India, or UIDAI, says was not breached. Snowden was not the only one outraged. A public outcry against UIDAI’s action forced an intervention by Indian Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, and pushed the UIDAI to issue a clarification. This is not the first time Snowden has spoken against the Aadhaar. On January 5 he tweeted: "It is the natural tendency of government to desire perfect records of private lives. H...
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