As agencies apologise over NRIC confusion, concerns over scam risk and privacy loss remain

THE government’s revised stance on the sensitivity of National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) numbers may have a solid basis but the concerns over the risk of data breaches and loss of privacy have yet to be assuaged.

Many citizens still have the mindset that NRIC numbers are private and confidential, and have concerns that the easy availability of the full numbers may lead to identity thieves having a field day.

For example, since September 2019, organisations have been barred from collecting, using or disclosing NRIC numbers, or making copies of the identity card unless they are required to do so by law.