What is DigiLocker?
DigiLocker is the Indian government's official digital document wallet, operated by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). It was launched in 2015 as part of the Digital India initiative and has since grown to serve over 200 million registered users.
DigiLocker allows Indian citizens to securely store, access, and share their government-issued documents digitally. These include Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, driving licences, vehicle registration certificates, educational marksheets, and more.
The platform is used across industries. Banks, airlines, insurance companies, and government services all accept DigiLocker-verified documents. When you verify through DigiLocker, the receiving application gets access only to the specific information you authorize, never your full document.
Why Does AirlockChat Use DigiLocker?
AirlockChat is a verified chat platform. Every user on the platform must prove their identity before they can send or receive messages. We chose DigiLocker for three reasons:
- It's government-backed. DigiLocker is operated by the Indian government, making it the most authoritative source of identity verification available to us.
- It's widely adopted. Over 200 million Indians already have DigiLocker accounts, so most users don't need to create a new account.
- It protects privacy. DigiLocker uses a consent-based sharing model. AirlockChat only receives your verified first name and a masked document number (last 4 digits). We never see your full Aadhaar number, address, or full document photo.
How Does AirlockChat Verification Work?
The verification process takes about 2 minutes. Here's exactly what happens:
Step 1: Tap "Verify with DigiLocker"
Inside the AirlockChat app, you tap the verification button. This initiates the process.
Step 2: Redirect to DigiLocker
You're taken to DigiLocker's secure government website. This is not an AirlockChat page. You're authenticating directly with the Indian government's system.
Step 3: Log in with your DigiLocker credentials
You log in using your DigiLocker username and password (or Aadhaar-linked mobile OTP). AirlockChat never sees these credentials.
Step 4: Authorize identity access
DigiLocker asks you to authorize AirlockChat to access your basic identity information. You must explicitly consent to this.
Step 5: We receive your verified name
AirlockChat receives your verified first name and a masked document number (last 4 digits only). This is the extent of the data we receive.
Step 6: Facial verification
Your profile photo is compared against your government ID photo using facial comparison technology. This ensures the person creating the account is the same person on the government document.
Step 7: Verification complete
Your display name is permanently set to your verified first name. It cannot be changed. You're now a verified user on AirlockChat and can send and receive chat requests.
What Data Does AirlockChat Store?
After verification, AirlockChat stores only four pieces of information:
- Your verified first name (used as your permanent display name)
- A masked document number (last 4 digits only)
- A facial verification score (the confidence level from the facial comparison)
- A hashed session identifier (for anti-fraud purposes)
We never store your full Aadhaar number, full document photo, address, or date of birth. If you delete your AirlockChat account, all DigiLocker-related data is purged within 30 days.
Is This Safe?
Yes. There are three layers of protection:
- DigiLocker's security. You authenticate directly with the government's system. AirlockChat never handles your login credentials.
- Data minimization. We only receive and store the minimum data needed for verification. No full document numbers, no addresses, no photos of your ID.
- DPDPA compliance. All data handling complies with India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act. You have the right to delete your data at any time.
Why Not Just Use Phone Number Verification?
Phone number verification only proves you have access to a phone number. It doesn't prove you're a real person, that you are who you say you are, or that you're not using a borrowed or temporary number.
Government verification through DigiLocker proves that the person behind the screen has a verified government identity. It's what separates AirlockChat from every other messaging app on the market.
Every person you talk to on AirlockChat has gone through this same process. That's what makes every conversation trustworthy.