Govt again asks WhatsApp to take back its contentious privacy policy update

The ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) has once again asked WhatsApp to withdraw its new privacy policy, which has given rise to a huge controversy since the messaging service first ann­ounced it in December last year.

According to sources, in a communication sent to WhatsApp on Tuesday, the ministry asked the Facebook-owned firm to roll back its privacy policy update, saying that the manner of introducing these changes, including in FAQs, undermines the sacrosanct values of informational privacy, data security and user choice for Indians and harms the rights and interests of Indian citizens.

The ministry has taken the same stand in the Delhi High Court, where the matter is subjudice.