Indian Government puts its foot down on WhatsApp Privacy Policy

The new WhatsApp privacy policy has been the talk of the town considering its implications on user data. Thus, the Indian Government has its foot down and asked the company to withdraw the latest WhatsApp privacy policy update. In a letter to Will Cathcart, Global CEO, WhatsApp, MeitY wrote that the update enabled WhatsApp and other Facebook companies “to make invasive and precise inferences about users”.

In fact, MeitY outlined that the WhatsApp privacy policy update was discriminatory in nature. WhatsApp had said that the new rules would not apply to users in the European Union. EU has a strict data regulation policy under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Thus, the letter also pointed out that unlike the EU, by not providing Indian users with the ability to opt-out of this data sharing with other Facebook companies, WhatsApp is treating users with an all-or-nothing approach.

Details that the Indian Government has asked on the WhatsApp Privacy Policy

The government has sent a list of 14 questions to WhatsApp on privacy and data security concerns. These include questions on whether WhatsApp conducts profiling of Indian users on the basis or their usage, and the nature of profiling; the difference between the privacy policy of WhatsApp in India and other countries; whether the application captures information about other apps running on the mobile phone of the user; and if the server on which the data of Indian users is transmitted and hosted and its servers' encryption.

The letter added that collection and sharing of sensitive data such as the time, frequency and duration of interactions, group names or payments and transaction data with Facebook companies will create an ecosystem where any distinction between WhatsApp and other companies of the Facebook group will cease to exist. “This approach has the potential to infringe on core values of data privacy, user choice and autonomy of Indian users. Given the huge user base of WhatsApp and Facebook in India, the consolidation of this sensitive information also exposes a very large segment of Indian citizens to greater information security risk and vulnerabilities creating a potential honeypot of information,” the IT ministry said in the letter to Cathcart.

Background

WhatsApp updated its terms of service earlier this month. It informed the users that it will share information from their interactions with business accounts, Facebook and third parties. The WhatsApp Privacy Policy also asked users to either agree or discontinue using the platform. The company has, as of now, delayed adoption of the new WhatsApp privacy policy to 15 May from 8 February.

The company maintains that the latest Privacy Policy enables users with the following business-related options:

• Enabling customer service through the platform in terms of chatting with business or asking questions.

• Personalised ads for users based on the ads they click on Facebook on Instagram and helping users chatting with those business owners through a dedicated WhatsApp icon.

• Some businesses with a shop on Facebook or Instagram can also have shops on their WhatsApp business profile. This will allow users to see a business’s products on Facebook and Instagram and shop from it directly through WhatsApp.