OUT OF SHADOWS: The Centre wants information on location of persons responsible for triggering fake news/messages
The government on Wednesday again asked WhatsApp to provide location and identity of persons spreading misinformation which is leading to violent incidents.
The government said it does not want WhatsApp to decrypt messages sent on its platform.
In a meeting with WhatsApp vice president Chris Daniels, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government does not want WhatsApp to decrypt and read messages but rather wants information on the location of the person responsible for triggering fake news/messages.
"When we talk of traceability, we don't talk of decrypting the messages but we insist on location and identification of the original sender of WhatsApp messages when such messages lead to provocation of violence, heinous offences and other serious crimes," Prasad said.
The messaging app owned by Facebook has assured of looking into this, the minister said.
The tussle between the government and WhatsApp on the issue of spreading fake news has been going on for few months since the company expressed its inability to provide traceability of messages on its platform as it will undermine the privacy of its users.
WhatsApp has appointed a grievance officer for India, based in the US but the ministry is keen on having an officer be located in India. WhatsApp also informed that they have incorporated a company in India and will start operations soon.
Since the issue has come to forefront, WhatsApp has taken various measures to this effect such as limiting forwarded messages to five chats at a time, addition of a forward label to messages, a radio campaign to spread awareness on misinformation and tie-up with Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) to create awareness among its users about the need to verify information.
In a separate event, Daniels said the company is focussed on values such as security and privacy to ensure that its product remains a utility that helps users communicate in everyday life.
WhatsApp has about 200 million people in India, its biggest market.
Following multiple incidents of mob lynching across the country, the government had slapped WhatsApp with two notices, with the second one warning that it will treat the messaging platform as an abettor of rumour propagation and legal consequences will follow if adequate checks are not put in place.
Prasad had met Daniels in August this year too, and apart from the traceability request, he had asked WhatsApp to set up a local corporate entity and appoint a grievance officer to address complaints.
"I met Chris Daniels, along with his team, on Wednesday and discussed various issues of the past. They have assured us that they have appointed a grievance officer for India. I have suggested that we will appreciate if grievance officer is also located in India," Prasad said.
Daniels declined to comment on the specifics of the meeting.
The minister said that during the meeting, he also emphasised that WhatsApp is an important instrument of message circulation even during elections, and hence its institutional integrity is paramount.
"...it is appropriate and desirable that the institutional integrity of this platform is maintained so that abusers cannot abuse it. They (WhatsApp) have also assured that they will work with my department in preventing circulation of spam farms," he said.
Over the past few months, WhatsApp has taken a number of steps to meet the government's concerns but has not yielded to its biggest demand -- identifying originators of rogue messages.
WhatsApp had launched a label that clearly identifies forwarded messages and also barred forwarding to messages to more than five people at one go.
The company is also conducting research with academics and other experts to help understand the challenge of misinformation and improve efforts over time.
It has published ads in various newspapers outlining steps to spot fake news and is also organising roadshows for spreading the message.
(With inputs from PTI)
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