WhatsApp has been asked by the Indian Government to withdraw the privacy policy changes the App introduced weeks back. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has written a letter to WhatsApp CEO Will Cathcart regarding the same.
The letter read that India is home to the largest user base of WhatsApp globally and is one the biggest markets for its services. The proposed changes to the WhatsApp Terms of Service and Privacy Policy “raise grave concerns regarding the implications for the choice and autonomy of Indian citizens,” it wrote.
The ministry asked WhatsApp to withdraw the proposed changes and reconsider its approach to information privacy, freedom of choice and data security.
Stating that Indians should be properly respected, it said, “any unilateral changes to the WhatsApp Terms of Service and Privacy would not be fair and acceptable.”
WhatsApp has already announced the delay in the implementation of the new privacy policy till May 15th. It has clarified that the new terms of service includes changes just for chats with a business account as a business account can now use Facebook hosting services to manage their WhatsApp chats, use Facebook branded commerce features such as Shops, and display an ad on Facebook to message the business directly on WhatsApp.
“We’ve heard from so many people how much confusion there is around our recent update. There’s been a lot of misinformation causing concern and we want to help everyone understand our principles and the facts”, WhatsApp’s blog post read.