WhatsApp Group Admins to Register by October 15 as Per Government of India Order? Know Truth Behind This Viral Message
A post is going viral on social media claiming admins of WhatsApp groups need to be registered by October 15 as per the order issued by the government.
New Delhi, October 12: A post is going viral on social media claiming admins of WhatsApp groups need to be registered by October 15 as per the order issued by the government. The post claims the government has made it mandatory for all WhatsApp group admins to register themselves. Since the post has gone viral on WhatsApp and Facebook, several people shut their groups on the popular messaging app.
The viral post says WhatsApp group admins will need to submit their details at district collector's office for registration. A monthly fee will be charged to continue the registration, the post claims. The post is being widely shared in Madhya Pradesh as some of such posts states district collector of Bhind has issued the so-called order. It says the directive has been issued to curb fake news ahead of Assembly polls in the state. WhatsApp, Amazon, Alibaba To Host Data Locally in India: RBI Sticks to Data Storage Deadline of October 15.
Do WhatsApp Group Admins Need Registration? Here's The Truth
The viral post is partially right and wrong. The district collector of Bhind has issued such order, but no such registration is mandatory for WhatsApp group admins in rest of the part of the country. Even in Bhind, only media persons administrating groups on WhatsApp have been asked for registration. The general public is exempted. The central government has issued no such order.
Speaking to a news channel, Bhind district collector Ashish Kumar clarified that only media associates who share various news on WhatsApp through their groups had been asked to register. He said the registration can be done through mobile phones and a person is appointed to maintain the data.
Final Conclusion:
Except in Bhind, no registration is needed for WhatsApp group admins. Notably, in Bhind, only people associated with the press are asked for registration.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 12, 2018 10:32 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).