Controversy on WhatsApp’s Data Protection & Security Information. Image Courtesy – HackRead
The Supreme Court of India directed the government of India to ask for detailed information from WhatsApp about the data protection & security information of Indian consumers. The new privacy policy of WhatsApp has repeatedly raised questions about the protection of Indian customers’ personal information.
The case has been taken to court. In public interest litigation filed in the Delhi High Court, the central government has said that WhatsApp is discriminating. The Indian people are being forced to accept the new policy. In this context, the Supreme Court of India ruled that the protection and security of the information of Indian consumers fall under the duty of WhatsApp. In the new policy, it is important to maintain transparency of information.
The controversy has erupted over WhatsApp’s new privacy policy. WhatsApp has decided to stop sharing new data for the time being in the face of customer annoyance. The new policy was to be launched on February 8, 2021. But for now, it has been postponed for three months.
In the face of controversy over the new privacy policy, the government has written to WhatsApp asking it to discontinue the new policy for Indian consumers. The security and safety of information of the Indian customers on WhatsApp should also be informed in detail.
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WhatsApp said about their new policy – customers will not be able to avoid this update. The account will only exist if you agree to all the terms of the privacy policy, otherwise, you will have to leave the account. The debate virtually culminated on that issue. Many people left WhatsApp and went to Telegram or Signal app.
In the face of consumer pressure, WhatsApp said in a statement at the last moment that they do not share data with Facebook. WhatsApp never even intercepts customers’ private conversations. No contact numbers of the customers are shared with Facebook. If you write a location in the message, it will not be read by WhatsApp. Even all the messages in the WhatsApp group are kept secret. The locations of the users are also kept secret.
However, the government has argued that no other Facebook company will get any information about WhatsApp users in European countries. But, in the case of Indians, it is being said that providing information to other Facebook companies is mandatory. WhatsApp is unilaterally forcing Indians to accept the new terms and conditions.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of India has also written a letter to WhatsApp’s global CEO Will Cathcart asking them not to discriminate between other countries and Indian consumers.
Now, let us see the action of WhatsApp on their policy part. The consumers of India will focus on WhatsApp’s new announcement on the privacy policy, and obviously how the policy will act regarding data protection & security information.
