Open to answering any queries from govt on privacy policy update: WhatsApp

Under fire over its recent privacy policy update, WhatsApp on Thursday said it is open to answering any questions from the government on the issue and is aware that the company will have to “compete” for users’ trust with rivals such as Signal.

In an interview to PTI, WhatsApp Global Head Will Cathcart said the Facebook-owned company remains committed to privacy and security of users across India and will continue to explain to users that their messages are end-to-end encrypted.

Rival messaging platforms such as Signal and Telegram saw phenomenal rise in downloads soon after WhatsApp sought users’ consent to its updated privacy policy that seeks to share some data with Facebook.