Hacking incident could affect launch of WhatsApp’s payment service

The latest security incident around WhatsApp could have a bearing on the launch of its digital payment services in India as these systems need to be “fool-proof”, a senior government official said.

Asked if the Pegasus snooping row could impact WhatsApp’s digital payment plans that are still awaiting regulator approvals, the official said the incident will certainly raise question on seriousness of the plans and security aspects, particularly since digital payment is all about fool-proof systems.

An e-mail sent to WhatApp on the issue remained unanswered.

The messaging app, which has about 400 million users in India, has been testing its payments service in the country since last year with about a million users. WhatsApp’s service will compete against the likes of Paytm, PhonePe and Google Pay as and when it is rolled out nationally in India.