WhatsApp Has to Follow Indian Laws, Says Ravi Shankar Prasad After Meeting CEO
The union minister also suggested three points to WhatsApp CEO to curb misuse of the popular messaging app.
New Delhi, Aug 21: Union Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday said WhatsApp has to follow Indian laws and regulations. Prasad made the statement after meeting WhatsApp Chief Executive Officer Chris Daniels in view of the spread of fake and provocative content on its platorm. The minister said Daniels assured that WhatsApp will function in compliance of Indian laws.
"I had a very productive meeting. I complimented him for extraordinary technological awakening that WhatsApp has led in the country, for education, healthcare, relief in Kerala. These are positive developments. There are also very sinister developments, that provokes crime like mob lynching, revenge porn and you must find solutions to these challenges which are downright criminal violation of Indian laws," Prasad said.
The union minister also suggested three points to WhatsApp CEO to curb misuse of the popular messaging app. "I suggested three points. First, WhatsApp must have a grievance officer in India. Second, you must have a proper compliance of Indian laws. We won't appreciate a scenario where any problem will have to be answered in America.
Third, WhatsApp has become an important component of India's digital storage and must have a proper corporate entity located in India," Prasad said. The IT ministry has, in the past, said that the platform cannot escape its responsibility for such rampant abuse and needed to find originators of provocative messages.
Over the past few months, fake messages circulating on WhatsApp have incited incidents of mob fury across parts of India. The government has sent out two notices to the Facebook-owned company directing it to take urgent measures to curb false information and rumours being spread on the messaging platform.
With the Indian government talking tough on WhatsApp's failure to check the spread of fake and provocative content on its platorm, the Facebook-owned platform last month rolled out a feature in India to limit message forwarding to five chats. Last month, WhatsApp top executives including COO Matthew Idema had met IT Secretary and other Indian government officials to outline various steps being taken by the company to tackle fake news in India.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 21, 2018 01:21 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).