A wave of exceptionally hot weather has blasted parts of South and Southeast Asia this week
India’s technology ministry has asked WhatsApp to withdraw changes to its privacy policy the messenger announced this month, saying the new terms take away choice from Indian users.
The demand creates a new headache for WhatsApp and its U.S. parent Facebook, which have placed big bets on the South Asian nation to expand their payments and other businesses.
“The proposed changes raise grave concerns regarding the implications for the choice and autonomy of Indian citizens,” the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology wrote in an email to WhatsApp boss Will Cathcart dated Jan. 18.
“Therefore, you are called upon to withdraw the proposed changes,” the ministry wrote in the letter seen by Reuters.
California-based Facebook invested $5.7 billion last year in the digital unit of Indian conglomerate Reliance with a huge part of that aimed at drawing in tens of millions of traditional shop owners to use digital payments via WhatsApp.
With 400 million users in India, WhatsApp has big plans for India’s growing digital payments space, including selling health insurance via partners.
Those aspirations could take a hit if Indians switch to rival messengers such as Signal and Telegram, downloads of which have surged after WhatsApp said on Jan. 4 it could share limited user data with Facebook and its group firms.
It is of “great concern” that Indian users have not been given the choice to opt out of this data sharing with Facebook companies and are being given less choice compared to the app’s European users, the tech ministry letter said.
“This differential and discriminatory treatment of Indian and European users is attracting serious criticism and betrays a lack of respect for the rights and interest of Indian citizens who form a substantial portion of WhatsApp’s user base,” it said.
The ministry asked WhatsApp to respond to 14 questions including on the categories of user data it collected, whether it profiled customers based on usage and cross-border data flows.
WhatsApp did not respond to a request for comment but has previously said the update to its privacy policy did not affect the privacy of users’ messages with friends, family and in groups.
The company said last week it would delay the new policy launch to May from February, after facing criticism from users in India and elsewhere to the new terms.
WhatsApp has launched a media advertising campaign in India to calm worried users. The update to the privacy policy has also resulted in two legal petitions in Indian courts.
A wave of exceptionally hot weather has blasted parts of South and Southeast Asia this week
These ports will be used for take-off and landing of flying vehicles and serve as hubs for passenger pick-up, drop-off, and battery charging
The luxurious PORSCHE DESIGN HONOR Magic V2 RSR and PORSCHE DESIGN HONOR Magic6 RSR editions are available only through invitation, adding more exclusivity and uniqueness
Many motorists who have their vehicles written off will also look for a new one, driving the demand
Spot gold was steady at $2,317.41 per ounce after staying mostly in negative territory earlier in the day
It is likely to be humid by night and Friday morning over some coastal and internal areas
The Abu Dhabi Awards winner encourages everyone, regardless of their land size, to engage in farming
Geopolitical tensions, economic data likely to affect yellow metal's prices, expert says