WhatsApp to go ahead with new privacy policy, says it has conveyed commitment to protect privacy to govt- Technology News, NewsGater

New Delhi: Hours after announcing the decision to go ahead with the controversial update to its privacy policy, WhatsApp said on Friday that it had told the Center that it remains committed to protecting the privacy of personal conversations across the country.

Last month, the messaging app faced a series of questions from the Indian government after informing users that it was updating its privacy policy under which it could share limited user data with Facebook and its group companies.

The backlash and users who opted for rival apps Telegram and Signal led WhatsApp to delay the launch until May, but on Friday the company said the policy will be implemented but the platform will allow users to read it at “their own pace. “.

WhatsApp will also provide a banner offering additional information about the update.

“Due to misinformation and based on feedback from our users, we have delayed the acceptance period for WhatsApp’s terms of service and privacy policy until May 15. In the meantime, we continue to interact with the government and we are grateful for the opportunity to answer the questions we received from them, “WhatsApp said in an emailed statement to PTI.

He added that the company has relayed that it continues to protect the privacy of personal conversations across India and ensures that the platform remains secure so that everyone can participate.

In a blog post on Friday, WhatsApp said it will display an in-app banner in the coming weeks “providing more information that people can read at their own pace.”

“We have also included more information to try to address the concerns we are hearing. Over time, we will begin to remind people to review and accept these updates to continue using WhatsApp,” said the Facebook-owned company.

WhatsApp also said that the new in-app notification looks different than what users saw in January and that it has been redesigned based on user feedback.

“… but the Terms of Service and the Privacy Policy remain the same. As a reminder, this update does not change the privacy of people’s personal conversations and does not expand our ability to share data with Facebook,” WhatsApp said.

Amid concerns raised by users on the issue, the Indian government had asked WhatsApp in January to withdraw the charges, saying the unilateral changes are unfair and unacceptable.

The government had argued that not giving users the option to opt outraised “serious concerns about the implications for the choice and autonomy of Indian citizens.” It had also questioned why Indian users are being subjected to differential treatment compared to their European counterparts, where the changes do not apply.

WhatsApp has clarified that people who have not accepted the privacy policy after May 15 can still receive calls and receive notifications, but must accept the update to send messages.

It added that according to their policies, user accounts will remain active to allow people to accept the new terms of service and updates.

Issues ranging from provocative and inflammatory content to misinformation and data breaches have placed social media companies like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter in the line of fire in recent months.

The Indian government has confronted these companies on multiple occasions and stated that they must abide by the country’s rules and the crackdown on the misuse of their platforms.

Intermediate guidelines, which apply to digital platforms like Facebook and Twitter, are in the final stages and are expected to be announced soon.

The proposed rules are aimed at curbing the misuse of social media by possibly adjusting deadlines for taking action on malicious content and increasing the accountability of digital platforms to users and Indian law.

WhatsApp has around 2 billion users worldwide, with India as its largest market with more than 400 million users.

In its blog post on Friday, WhatsApp said it will do much more to make its “voice clear in the future” adding that it had previously used the ‘Status’ feature to share information about the update.