Reuters
- After widespread backlash from users and privacy activists, a petition has been filed in India against WhatsApp’s new privacy policy.
- The petition, filed in WhatsApp’s biggest market, calls on the Indian government to ensure WhatsApp does not share user data with third parties.
- WhatsApp informed users on Wednesday that it would start sharing some personal data with its parent company, Facebook.
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After widespread backlash from users and privacy activists alike, a petition has been filed in India against WhatsApp’s new privacy policy.
The petition, filed in the Delhi High Court, calls on the Indian government to ensure WhatsApp does not share user data with third parties, Bar & Bench report.
WhatsApp informed users on Wednesday that it was updating its terms of service and privacy policies from February 8, 2021.
The messaging platform announced it would start sharing some personal data, including phone numbers and locations, with its parent company, Facebook.
If users don’t agree to new terms of service, they will lose access to the app.
A WhatsApp spokesperson told Ars Technica the change was to allow businesses to store WhatsApp chats using Facebook’s broader infrastructure. The company says the changes do not impact users in the UK or the EU, and do not affect the privacy of conversations with friends and family.
India’s government is examining the new policy
The Indian government has begun examining the controversy surrounding WhatsApp’s new update, according to the Times of India.
“We are collecting details,” said an official source.
India’s is WhatsApp’s biggest market.
The issue is reportedly being discussed at the highest levels of the IT ministry.
One of the reasons behind this could be the different approach WhatsApp has taken with respect to privacy in the European Union and countries like India.
“Also, the privacy update sought by WhatsApp in user agreement in European Union is seen as lenient while in India it is wide-ranging and may have terms that may potentially harm user privacy,” the official source added.
Trade body calls for WhatsApp ban in India
In the wake of these changes, some – including Elon Musk – have recommended switching from WhatsApp to smaller rival apps like Signal.
Signal topped both Apple and Google’s app stores – it was downloaded 7.5 million times in the five days following WhatsApp’s announcement about data-sharing.
Meanwhile, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has asked that the Indian government should either restrict WhatsApp from implementing the new privacy policy or ban WhatsApp and Facebook in India.
In its FAQ section, WhatsApp clarified that the messaging platform is giving businesses the option to use secure hosting services from Facebook to manage WhatsApp chats with customers. Data from those chats may be used for marketing purposes, which may include being shown advertising on Facebook based on those chats.
It also said users’ privacy wouldn’t be affected if they opted out of business accounts on WhatsApp, which it added is an optional feature.
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