UPDATED: January 23, 2021 13:00 IST
(Illustration by Nilanjan Das)
On January 4, millions of WhatsApp users across the world found an in-app pop-up notifying them that from February 8 the messenger platform s terms of services and privacy policy would change, and users must accept the new terms to keep using the app. In the new privacy policy, WhatsApp removed a passage on allowing users to opt out of sharing certain data with Facebook, its parent firm.
This take-it-or-leave-it policy led to massive outrage against WhatsApp for being cavalier with its users privacy. Many shifted to other chat platforms such as Telegram and Signal. WhatsApp saw a 7 per cent decline in daily instals within a week of the release of the new privacy policy. In contrast, Signal saw an 18-fold increase in downloads between January 6 and 10. In India, two PILs-one in the Supreme Court and one in the Delhi High Court-were filed seeking legal intervention to prevent WhatsApp from forcing users to share p
IT Parliamentary Committee Grills FB, Twitter Over De-platforming Users, WhatsApp s Privacy Policy
forbesindia.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from forbesindia.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Updated Jan 21, 2021 | 13:30 IST
Given the policy vacuum that persists in India, there appear to be few legal provisions that protect data intermediaries like WhatsApp from strong-arming Indian citizens into surrendering sensitive data. Representational image. | Photo Credit: iStock Images
Key Highlights
WhatsApp s latest privacy policy, which it has said must be accepted by users to prevent suspension of its text-messaging service, has reignited the debate around data protection
India has displayed remarkable lethargy in implementing its draft Personal Data Protection Bill 2019 that, crucially, mandates the setup of an independent Data Protection Authority to explicitly review matters relating to privacy
Experts have noted that WhatsApp s evolving privacy policy works in contravention to Section 5 of the PDP Bill
4564
1 Transition: The recent actions by intermediaries like WhatsApp demonstrate the urgent need for amending the information technology Act. Reuters
Pavan Duggal
Cyber Law Expert
The recent controversy triggered by WhatsApp’s move to unilaterally amend its privacy policy appears to have acted as a catalyst to shake Indian citizens out of complacency.
Though deferred for now, Whats- App will be implementing, unilaterally, amendments to its privacy policy which would mean sharing of sensitive personal data of individuals, not just to Facebook and Facebook group of companies, but also various business affiliates, third parties and service providers. The said privacy policy appears to be in contravention of the applicable prevailing law for the time being in force. However, the said incident has once again brought forward the need for Indians to be caring about their cyber data privacy.
By
HIGHLIGHTS
MeitY raises grave concerns over the changes in the privacy policy
WhatsApp has postponed the new privacy policy change by three months Indian government asks WhatsApp to withdraw new privacy policy: Report
The Indian government has reportedly asked WhatsApp to withdraw the new terms under its updated privacy policy. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has written an email to Will Cathcart, Head of WhatsApp citing “grave concerns” over the new changes in the privacy policy. WhatsApp introduced some changes to its privacy policy on January 6 with Business features set to go live on February 8. However, the constant uproar by the users led the company to defer its plans by three months.
vimarsana © 2020. All Rights Reserved.