WhatsApp and its parent company Meta have not informed the Indian government of any plans to shut down their services in the country, according to Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. The Minister clarified this in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
This response was prompted by Congress member Vivek Tankha’s question about whether WhatsApp intended to cease operations in India due to government directives to share user details. Tankha’s question followed earlier statements from WhatsApp expressing concerns about new IT rules that could require the platform to break end-to-end encryption.
Earlier this year, WhatsApp informed the Delhi High Court that it would stop functioning in India if forced to break encryption on messages. WhatsApp’s lawyer, Tejas Karia, emphasized during the proceedings that breaking encryption would undermine user privacy, compromise trust, and necessitate storing millions of messages for extended periods without certainty of which ones would need decryption.
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WhatsApp and Meta have challenged the amended IT Rules, arguing that they violate the right to privacy and are unconstitutional. These rules, introduced in February 2021, encompass intermediary guidelines and a digital media ethics code. The Indian government defends these rules, stating they are necessary for traceability to combat harmful content.
In his response to Tankha, Vaishnaw explained that the central government issues directions under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. These directives aim to protect India’s sovereignty, integrity, defense, security, and public order, and to prevent incitement to commit offenses related to these concerns.
If WhatsApp were to leave India, it would significantly impact both the company and its user base of over 400 million people. Many individuals and businesses in India depend on WhatsApp for communication. An exit could disrupt these communication channels and potentially harm the economy.