Supreme Court Verdict Bars Machine-Readable Voter Lists for Privacy Concerns

According to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the Supreme Court's stance from a 2019 judgment disallows sharing voter lists in a machine-readable format, as it poses privacy risks. This decision, reiterated by Kumar at a press conference, emphasizes that while lists are accessible on the website for searching and downloading, they cannot be edited in machine-readable form. The distinction between machine-readable and searchable formats has been crucial in maintaining voter privacy, as noted in the Supreme Court's decision.

The Congress party has been vocal about demanding voter lists in a machine-readable format, citing its potential to pinpoint flaws efficiently. However, the ruling from India's highest court has underscored the potential for misuse and privacy violations, thus rejecting the demand. This verdict was supported by arguments previously raised during Kamal Nath's 2018 writ petition.

The Supreme Court verdict aligns with Clause 11.2.2.2 of the Election Manual, which specifies that the draft electoral roll be available in 'text mode' rather than 'searchable PDF'. This ruling fortifies the legal framework ensuring voter list security, protecting citizens' data against unauthorized edits and privacy breaches.

(With inputs from agencies.)