India demands WhatsApp to withdraw new privacy policy
The Indian government has demanded WhatsApp to withdraw its updated privacy policy. It has deemed the messaging service's unilateral changes to be unfair and unacceptable while issuing the ultimatum. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has given the messaging service seven days to clarify issues related to its privacy, data transfer, and sharing policies, in addition to its general business practices.
The Ministry issued a strongly worded email to the WhatsApp CEO Will Cathcart reminding him that the country houses most of its userbase and is the biggest market for its services. It qualified the assertion by remarking that the updated Terms of Service and privacy policy raise "grave concerns regarding the implications for the choice and autonomy of Indian citizens".
Interestingly, the European Union's data protection laws prevent WhatsApp from implementing its updated policies. The Ministry raised concerns about the deferential treatment meted out to Indian WhatsApp users vis-à-vis their EU counterparts, who don't have to worry about the ToS update. The government has criticized the "all-or-nothing" ultimatum issued by WhatsApp, where users could either accept the policy or lose access to the platform.
The government has weighed in on the WhatsApp controversy following the exodus of users from the messaging service. Celebrities such as Elon Musk and other prominent personalities have advocated Signal as an alternative. In the intervening period, apps such as Signal and Telegram have registered exponential rise in new user registrations. Signal even experienced a temporary breakdown owing to a deluge of new users.
WhatsApp has been on the backfoot ever since the controversy gained critical mass. It initially resorted to issuing infographics assuring users that the privacy changes only apply to business chats. The messaging service was eventually compelled to postpone the implementation of the policy updates by three months. Meanwhile, a recent survey revealed that only 18 percent of respondents were interested in continuing with WhatsApp.
