Online platforms like Whatsapp don’t cooperate citing encryption: govt

New Delhi: Platforms like WhatsApp and Signal do not cooperate with law enforcement agencies citing end-to-end encryption and don’t even honour lawful requisitions, government officials have told a Rajya Sabha panel looking into the issue of pornography on social media and its effects on children.

Earlier this month, an ad-hoc committee of the Rajya Sabha was formed by the Upper House Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu on the “alarming issue” of pornography on social media and its effects on children and society as a whole.

The panel, which includes 14-members from ten political parties, has held several meetings on the issue.

It also called upon various stakeholders including Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY), telecom regulator TRAI and social media platforms.