The issue of WhatsApp privacy policy has again raised the concern of data privacy in India. The company is collecting phone numbers and other personal information from its users and keeping it on its servers. It said that the data will only be shared with Facebook as we all know it is owned by Facebook. The privacy policy was updated after acquisition by Facebook but the issue is still not resolved.
The Facebook-owned WhatsApp recently has brought up the issue of the privacy policy that they introduced and how it was not at par with the law of the land.
Facebook’s revenue model uses data on its platform to allow advertisers to target relevant consumers. Now Facebook Inc. wants to integrate the services from WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook. The intent behind this step is to monetise their use by consumers.
WhatsApp is one of the most used Social Media App in India. It is capable to share user metadata and mobile information of Indian users with Facebook, its parent company. Now, Indian government is looking for ways to protect the data privacy of Indian Users.
The Ministry of Electronics and IT has sent WhatsApp a series of queries. The government has sought clarity on how information shared with Facebook can be used to strengthen Facebook’s position in the Indian market and how it intends to safeguard the privacy of users’ data.
The European Union is one such region where the laws strictly restrict data storage and transfer. Despite the enormous base of users it serves, Facebook has decided not to store user information in Europe. That’s not to say that there are no ways that can transfer WhatsApp contact list to Facebook.
The recommendation of the Srikrishna committee on Data protection is a step in the right direction. It makes the provisions stringent for startups that collect and share data with third parties. Data localization and the requirement of carrying out background checks can help prevent data breaches.
Privacy issues have to be addressed in various spheres like technology, policy, and law. Notably, the lack of privacy is being addressed mainly by enabling stronger contractual conditions on data sharing and adopting better security tools by the applications that secure user data. With this perspective, privacy issues are being solved at the international level. In addition to that, there is a need for enhancement in technology and an addition of some security features and protocols to enhance user’s handling of the data. There should be better encryption so that the user’s information remains safe.
