The ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) has reportedly written to WhatsApp, asking the company to withdraw its latest terms of service and privacy policy and respect the informational privacy and data security of Indian users.
As per industry sources, MeitY has sent a detailed questionnaire to WhatsApp seeking details about its data sharing protocols and business practices. In addition, the government has also sought clarifications on the differences between WhatsApp’s privacy policies in other countries and India, as well as the server where data of Indian users is transmitted or hosted.
Further, the letter also highlighted that the proposed consolidation of sensitive information exposes a very large segment of the country’s citizens to greater security risks and vulnerabilities, creating a “honeypot of information”.
