Is This The Design For A New Indian Passport? A Fact-Check

A viral message on social media claiming that a new debit card shaped smart passport will soon be launched in India is false. The images have been taken from a blog is a concept created by a designer.

The WhatsApp message is accompanied with an image of a black colour credit card with details similar to on an India passport. The message reads, "The New Smart Passport  Concept of future is here. The elegant All-In-One Identity solution for every Indian Citizen very soon. There won't be any stamp. It will be like debit/credit card. Swipe it and move out."

BOOM did a Facebook search with the same caption and found that the post had been shared widely on Facebook.

Click here to view the post and here to view an archive.

FACT-CHECK

BOOM ran a reverse image search on the photo and found that the image of the credit card shaped passport was picked up from a Medium blog.

The blog published on February 17, 2017, titled 'The Passport — Concept' written by Siddhant Gupta, a Designer Engineer, goes on to propose All-In-One Identity' solution for every citizen by using a 'Passport Booklet'.

The writer envisions an Indian Passport concept design which he has designed that would be a single smart card to replace all cards (bank, license, registrations, national ID, Voter ID).

One can spot the same images and photo the strap that it is a concept design. (Read more here)