‘Grave concerns’: India urges WhatsApp to withdraw changes to privacy policy

As cross-platform messaging WhatsApp updated its privacy policy, a lot of eyes were rolled and questions were raised. Not only did the users jump ship to other cross-platform messaging apps, but the officials, too, joined the bandwagon in calling out the platform for its changes to the privacy policy.

Building on the pressure, the Indian government on Tuesday urged WhatsApp to withdraw the recent changes in the privacy policy of the messaging app, saying unilateral changes are not fair and acceptable, news agency PTI reported.

In a strongly-worded letter to WhatsApp CEO Will Cathcart, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said India is home to the largest user base of WhatsApp globally and is one the biggest markets for its services.

According to a PTI report, the letter said that the proposed changes to the policies “raise grave concerns regarding the implications for the choice and autonomy of Indian citizens.”

Stating that Indians should be properly respected, it said, “any unilateral changes to the WhatsApp Terms of Service and Privacy would not be fair and acceptable.”

Electronics and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that national security will be central with regard to the exposure of international companies, including those from China, in the country.

“This is an issue that my department is (working) on, and being the final authority, it will not be proper for me to make comments. But except to flag one thing very clearly. Be it WhatsApp, be it Facebook, be it any digital platform. You are free to do business in India but do it in a manner without impinging upon the rights of Indians who operate there,” Prasad said.

He added that the sanctity of personal communications needs to be maintained.