The ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that it has asked WhatsApp to review its proposed privacy policy changes.

The ministry also asked the Facebook-owned company to explain its proposed privacy policy changes, stating that the IT Act safeguards sensitive personal info collected by corporates, including WhatsApp. The MeitY further informed the Lok Sabha that WhatsApp has to observe due diligence prescribed by the IT rules, 2011.

Earlier, in mid-January, MeitY, in a strongly-worded letter to WhatsApp CEO Will Cathcart, had sought detailed information about its data-sharing protocols and business practices. The ministry had then also raised objections to the differential treatment accorded by WhatsApp to its users in India vis-à-vis those in the European Union.

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WhatsApp postpones privacy policy roll-out by 3 months

Reiterating the fact that Indian users should be respected, the MeitY told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that it had "initiated IT Act amendments to make intermediaries responsive and accountable to Indian users".

On January 16, amid severe criticism WhatsApp has postponed the roll-out of its privacy policy by three months. It was originally slated to come into effect from February 8.

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In a post on Twitter, WhatsApp informed users of the delay in implementing the new privacy policy. “No one will have their account suspended or deleted on Feb 8 and we’ll be moving back our business plans until after May –(sic)”, read the tweet.

Thank you to everyone who’s reached out. We're still working to counter any confusion by communicating directly with @WhatsApp users. No one will have their account suspended or deleted on Feb 8 and we’ll be moving back our business plans until after May - https://t.co/H3DeSS0QfO

— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) January 15, 2021

The company also released a blogpost to clear the confusion, and attached its link along with the Twitter post. In the blogpost, WhatsApp stated that a lot of “misinformation” was being spread, causing concern, which they wanted to “clear up” by communicating directly with users “before new business options are available on May 15”.

The company added that whatever users shared with their contacts stayed secure, as personal conversations were protected through end-to-end encryption. “…neither WhatsApp nor Facebook can see these private messages,” stated the blogpost.

(Edited by : Jomy)