New Delhi. There is a lot of speculation about the closure of instant messaging platform WhatsApp in India. Meanwhile, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently told the Rajya Sabha that WhatsApp and its parent company Meta have not informed the government about any plan to shut down their services in India.
Vaishnav said in a written reply, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) has shared that WhatsApp or Meta has not informed the government about any such plan. In the Rajya Sabha, Congress MP Vivek Tankha had asked whether WhatsApp is planning to shut down its services in India due to the government’s instructions to share user-related details.
Instructions are issued under Section 69A of the IT Act, 2000
Responding to Tankha’s question on restrictions on social media platforms, Vaishnav said that the central government issues directions under Section 69A of the IT Act, 2000 to prevent any cognizable offence related to sovereignty or integrity of the country, defence of the country, etc.
WhatsApp had said this in Delhi High Court
Earlier this year, WhatsApp told the Delhi High Court that it would stop operating in India if the government forced it to break the encryption of messages. WhatsApp and Meta had challenged the newly amended IT rules, saying they violate the right to privacy and are unconstitutional.
Tag: Ashwini Vaishnav, WhatsApp
first published : July 28, 2024, 10:03 pm IST
