India Asks WhatsApp To Withdraw New Privacy Policy Over 'Grave Concerns' (techcrunch.com)
- Reference: 0141272194
- News link: https://yro.slashdot.org/story/21/01/19/1959228/india-asks-whatsapp-to-withdraw-new-privacy-policy-over-grave-concerns
- Source link: https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/19/india-asks-whatsapp-to-withdraw-new-privacy-policy-expresses-grave-concerns/
> In an email to WhatsApp head Will Cathcart, the nation's IT ministry said the upcoming update to the app's data-sharing policy has raised "grave concerns regarding the implications for the choice and autonomy of Indian citizens... Therefore, you are called upon to withdraw the proposed changes." The ministry is additionally seeking clarification from WhatsApp on its data-sharing agreement with Facebook and other commercial firms and has asked why users in the EU are exempt from the new privacy policy but their counterpoint in India have no choice but to comply. "Such a differential treatment is prejudicial to the interests of Indian users and is viewed with serious concern by the government," the ministry wrote in the email, a copy of which was obtained by TechCrunch. "The government of India owes a sovereign responsibility to its citizens to ensure that their interests are not compromised and therefore it calls upon WhatsApp to respond to concerns raised in this letter."
[1] https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/19/india-asks-whatsapp-to-withdraw-new-privacy-policy-expresses-grave-concerns/
Why the hat in hand ? (Score:1)
How about...
India REQUIRES WhatsApp to Withdraw...
You're dealing with Capitalist Corporation. They do anything if their dollarsand greedy asses are on the platter.
Re: Why the hat in hand ? (Score:2)
You know how Indians are always so friendly? ... ;)
Want to change that, tell them WhatsApp is Pakistani.
(Referencing [1]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=... [youtube.com] )
[1] https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8ugRDVpbmpA
Re: (Score:2)
The only problem is they would not believe unless the CEO of whatsapp is deposed in a military coup and sent to jail on corruption charges.
Surprised by this news (Score:2)
I was under the impression police officers are empowered to take down social media posts and accounts down, on their own, without any court intervention.
It is understandable, given the religious and caste tensions there, sometimes one has to act very very quickly to contain rumors and fake news. When Gandhi was assassinated in 1949, the radio news bulletin was, "Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated today in New Delhi today. The assassin is a Hindu" . Without that official declaration of the religious identity o
Not a facebook fan, but isn't this an overreaction (Score:1)
Looking at the actual changes they are making, the backlash seems like an overreaction.
Is it just desserts that Facebook/Whatsapp is on the receiving end of social media misinformation?
No, no, let them have the cake! (Score:2)
... and choke to death on it too!!
Worried about Signal and Telegram encryption? (Score:2)
Is it possible, that maybe, just maybe, the Indian government WANTS its citizenry to stay on WhatsApp - rather than be split across two other, newer (relatively speaking), messaging systems with possibly better encryption protocols? Is it possible that they are currently able to snoop on WhatsApp either due to deep infiltration of various groups, small group size (256 only on WhatsApp), whereas Signal and Telegram would require a whole new set of interventions/iniltration?
Inquiring minds want to know ...
Fishy (Score:2)
Haha! I'm not gonna trust a government with looking out for privacy. I wouldn't be surprised if their play here is to get rid of end-to-end encryption so they can snoop on the content. To end crime, of course. Can't possibly be used to crush opposition.
Re: (Score:2)
I would not trust them either, but here they are complaining about Whatsapp's use of customer data. The article does not say anything about end-to-end encryption. I don't see the context here.