Indian Government Questions WhatsApp Regarding the New Privacy Policy
Government officials have requested that a popular messaging app remove its recent privacy policy change from its website. This is in response to several user complaints that the ministry has received. We’re striving to clear up any confusion about our new privacy policy, WhatsApp has declared.
Earlier this month, WhatsApp revised its privacy policy to better connect the platform with Facebook. Before February 8th, WhatsApp users were compelled to either accept the amended terms of service and continue using the service or deactivate their WhatsApp account completely. This sparked outrage worldwide and prompted people to start looking for alternatives.
WhatsApp subsequently made a U-turn and said that the upgrade would be delayed until May 15th, allowing users more time to study the changes. After receiving a letter from the Indian Government’s Technology Ministry demanding that the popular chat program rescind its recent privacy policy update, the company has agreed to abolish it. Customers’ multiple concerns led to the ministry’s decision to assess these restrictions in light of India’s legislative framework, which it started doing after receiving several complaints.
It further said, “This unequal and discriminatory treatment of Indians and Europeans is drawing severe criticism, and reveals an apparent lack of regard for the Indian individuals’ right to privacy and rights.” The Indian government has issued 14 queries to WhatsApp in a letter on data collecting and other privacy-related issues. When it comes to WhatsApp’s services in India, data collection and user consent are all topics that have been brought up during a meeting between the company and the government.
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WhatsApp’s new privacy policy
Though it hasn’t answered the 14 questions posed by the ministry, Facebook’s instant messaging network has been striving to clear up any ‘misinformation’ around the update and has said that it is prepared to answer any inquiries about the privacy policy changes.
It reiterated that it would not share any further user data with Facebook. For the sake of openness and to help businesses flourish on the platform, the company has announced new policy changes. Even in groups or individual conversations, Facebook and WhatsApp won’t access the information that users share.
Final Words:
Due to privacy concerns, the Indian government banned a slew of popular applications last year, including PUBG Mobile, TikTok, AliExpress, and plenty of others. At this point, it’s not clear whether WhatsApp will follow suit or correct its modified privacy policy that triggered the situation.
