New Delhi:
The government has asked WhatsApp to withdraw any adjust in the messaging app’s privacy policy for customers in India, persons with direct know-how of the matter have stated. The centre has written to the Facebook-owned app’s international CEO Will Cathcart detailing issues more than facts safety of customers, they stated. India is WhatsApp’s greatest industry.
“…The new policy of WhatsApp proposes to share the metadata of users’ chat with business accounts with other Facebook companies. It would create a honeypot of information about users with Facebook group which can create security risks and vulnerabilities for users,” persons familiar with the matter stated, referring to what the Electronics and Information Technology Ministry communicated to WhatsApp.
“Ministry further objects to the all-or-nothing approach of WhatsApp that forces users to accept the new service terms and privacy policies, without giving an option to the users to opt-out of this proposed change of integrating user data with other Facebook companies,” the persons stated.
WhatsApp on Friday final postponed its information-sharing policy adjust soon after customers concerned about privacy fled the messaging service and flocked to rivals Telegram and Signal. The smartphone app, a large hit across the globe, cancelled its February 8 deadline for accepting the update to its terms regarding sharing information with Facebook, saying it would use the pause to clear up misinformation about privacy and safety.
“Ministry has also objected to the differential privacy policies for European Union and India. Given that India has the largest user base for WhatsApp in the world, this discriminatory treatment to Indian users shows lack of respect for interests of Indian citizens by WhatsApp. In this context, government reminds WhatsApp that it has a sovereign right to protect the interests of Indian citizens and it shall not compromise on that at any cost,” persons with know-how of the matter stated.
“Ministry has further asked WhatsApp as to why they have brought about such significant changes when the parliament of India is already considering the Personal Data Protection Bill. This bill, which is at an advance stage of consideration by the joint select committee of both houses of the parliament, strongly follows the principle of ‘purpose limitation’ with regard to data processing,” they stated.
The government has sent a list of 14 concerns to WhatsApp on privacy and information safety issues. Some of the concerns consist of asking WhatsApp to disclose the precise categories of information that it collects from customers in India, the permissions and user consent sought by the app and how every single of these would be applied.
Encrypted messaging app Telegram has noticed user ranks surge on the heels of the WhatsApp service terms announcement. Another encrypted messaging app Signal has also noticed a large surge in demand, helped by a tweeted recommendation by billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.