On Monday, WhatsApp told the Government that it will not limit functionality for users who do not agree with its new privacy policy. The company has also mentioned that it will continue to warn users about the upgrade and “maintain this approach” until the next data protection law takes effect. This comes a week after the Government instructed WhatsApp to retract the new privacy policy.
The Government sent a letter to WhatsApp stating that “Changes to the privacy policy and how these changes are introduced, including the frequently asked questions (FAQs), undermines the sacred values of informational privacy, data security, and user choice for Indian users, and affects the rights and interests of Indian citizens”.
According to the official, WhatsApp in its response to the government stated that it will abide by the provisions of the PDP bill when it takes effect. The Bill has a provision relating to data collection purposes and limitation, which could render the current WhatsApp privacy policy unviable in India.
Although the case is still pending in court, another senior official told ET that the government is putting pressure on the firm to not impose the policy on Indian users.
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