JOIN USWhatsApp isn't sharing personal data: Facebook assures Parliamentary Standing Committee
Amid rising concerns over WhatsApp's privacy terms and personal data protection, Facebook has assured the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology that WhatsApp is not sharing any personal data, according to an Economic Times report.
The Committee, headed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, met on Thursday to hear the views of Facebook and Twitter representatives on the safety of citizen's privacy, prevention of misuse of social online news media platforms including special emphasis on women’s security in the digital space. The Committee was informed by Facebook representative Shivnath Thukral that the allegations of privacy breach of WhatsApp users are false and also added that said all conversations and messages are encrypted end-to-end.
The Facebook official said his organisation has received 15 questions from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on various aspects of this issue and it is in the process of studying them and framing replies.
The Committee members also questioned Facebook over the “unfair treatment” meted to Indian users while having better policies for users in other countries and why the social media giant is not adopting a uniform rule in all countries.
Facebook representatives have termed the questions “important and relevant” and said that they will get back to the Committee with elaborate, “full-fledged” answers.
In a strongly worded letter to WhatsApp CEO Will Cathcart, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology had earlier this week said the proposed changes to the WhatsApp Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, without giving users an option to opt-out, "raise grave concerns regarding the implications for the choice and autonomy of Indian citizens".
The letter noted that with over 400 million users in India, the changes will have a disproportionate impact on the country's citizens.
WhatsApp had earlier this month begun asking its 2 billion users worldwide to accept an update of its privacy policy if they want to keep using the popular messaging app. The new terms caused an outcry among technology experts, privacy advocates and users and triggered a wave of defections to rival services such as Signal and Telegram.
Also read: WhatsApp policy change wake-up call
As per the updated policy, it has the right to share data collected from WhatsApp users with the broader Facebook network, which includes Instagram, regardless of owning accounts or profiles there. Some businesses, as per the new policy, were to use Facebook-owned servers to store messages.
This triggered an outcry in spite of WhatsApp's assertion that all private messages between friends and family members remain end-to-end encrypted.
WhatsApp had on January 16 delayed the introduction of the new privacy policy to May 15 after user backlash over sharing of user data and information with the parent company, Facebook Inc.
(With agency inputs)