Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has dispelled rumours about WhatsApp’s potential exit from Bharat. In a written response to a Rajya Sabha question from Congress member Vivek Tankha, Vaishnaw stated that neither WhatsApp nor its parent company, Meta, has notified the Indian Government about any plans to cease their operations in the country.
This clarification comes amidst concerns raised by WhatsApp regarding the new IT rules, which the company argues could endanger end-to-end encryption. Earlier this year, WhatsApp had warned the Delhi High Court that it might have to halt services in Bharat if required to compromise on message encryption.
WhatsApp’s lawyer Tejas Karia stressed that weakening encryption would not only erode user privacy and trust but also necessitate the long-term storage of millions of messages. WhatsApp and Meta are currently challenging the amended IT Rules, claiming they infringe on privacy rights.
Vaishnaw explained that the government issues directives under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, to safeguard the nation’s sovereignty, security, and public order.
“The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has confirmed that WhatsApp or Meta have not informed the government of any such plans,” Vaishnaw noted.
The potential exit of WhatsApp from Bharat could have significant repercussions for both the company and its vast user base of over 400 million people.
