Bharti Airtel, one of India’s leading telecom operators, has denied reports of a significant data breach that allegedly exposed the personal information of 375 million customers. This statement comes in response to online rumours suggesting a hack by a China-based threat actor.
According to the online claims, the cyber attack resulted in the theft of customer data, including Aadhaar numbers, which were purportedly put up for sale. However, Airtel has firmly rejected these allegations. An Airtel spokesperson told The Mobile Indian, “Based on our preliminary investigation, we can confirm that there has been no data breach whatsoever of Airtel’s system.” The spokesperson further stated, “Airtel is well-prepared to handle such incidents, and the recent reports alleging a data breach of our user base are false.”
The Mobile Indian has spoken to a few security experts, and they have supported Airtel’s stance, noting that the likelihood of such a hack is minimal. They highlighted that the Aadhaar numbers collected by Airtel are now masked, meaning only the last four digits of the ID card are visible and stored in the telecom operator’s database, thus enhancing the security of the information.
Airtel Implements Tariff Hike for Prepaid Customers
In a separate development, Bharti Airtel has announced a tariff increase for its prepaid customers. The new plans, which took effect on July 3, reflect the company’s need to boost its Average Revenue per User (ARPU) to over ₹300. This increase is deemed necessary to sustain a financially viable business model for Indian telecom companies.
Airtel emphasized that achieving this ARPU level is crucial for making substantial investments in network technology and spectrum and ensuring a return on capital. The company reassured customers that the entry-level plans will experience only a modest price hike, amounting to less than 70 paise per day, to minimize the impact on budget-conscious consumers.