IT Ministry directs WhatsApp to withdraw privacy policy

New Delhi: The government has ordered WhatsApp to withdraw its controversial new privacy policy, saying the changes undermine the sacrosanct values of privacy, data security and harms rights and interests of Indian citizens.

The Ministry of Electronics and IT shot-off a letter to WhatsApp on May 18 on the issue, sources said and warned that necessary steps in accordance with law will be taken if a satisfactory response was not received within seven days.

The ministry has taken a strong position on the matter, and made it clear that it is not just problematic but also "irresponsible" for the messaging platform to leverage its position to impose "unfair" terms and conditions on Indian users, when many depend on WhatsApp to communicate in everyday life, according to the sources.

In the letter, the ministry has drawn attention of WhatsApp as to how its new privacy policy is a violation of several provisions of the existing Indian laws and rules. In fulfilment of its sovereign responsibility to protect the rights and interests of Indian citizens, the government will consider various options available to it under laws in India, the sources at the ministry said. WhatsApp -- which has 53 crore users in India as per government data -- had faced severe backlash over user concerns that data was being shared with parent company Facebook. Earlier this week, WhatsApp told the Delhi High Court that while its new privacy policy has come into effect from May 15, it would not start deleting accounts of those users who have not accepted it and would try to encourage them to get on board.

The platform had said there was no universal or uniform time limit after which it will start to delete accounts as each user would be dealt with on case-to-case basis. The sources said the IT ministry believes that the changes to WhatsApp privacy policy and the manner of introducing the said changes undermines the sacrosanct values of informational privacy, data security and user choice while harming the rights and interests of Indian citizens.

In its May 18 communication to WhatsApp, the ministry has once again told the messaging platform to withdraw its privacy policy 2021, and also flagged WhatsApp's 'discriminatory treatment' of Indian users vis-a-vis users in Europe. "As you are doubtlessly aware, many Indian citizens depend on WhatsApp to communicate in everyday life. It is not just problematic but also irresponsible for WhatsApp to leverage this position to impose unfair terms and conditions on Indian users, particularly those that discriminate against Indian users vis-à-vis users in Europe," as per the communication.

The sources noted that WhatsApp had earlier claimed that it officially deferred its new privacy policy beyond May 15, 2021. However, the ministry in its communication has asserted that deferral of the privacy policy beyond May 15 does not absolve WhatsApp from respecting the values of informational privacy, data security and user choice for Indian users. Continued on Page 7