Security Vs Privacy: Need Miscreants’ Location And Identity Not Decryption Of Messages, Clarifies IT Minister

The Union government has said it is seeking identity and location of the online miscreants not the decryption of messages on WhatsApp, reports The New Indian Express.

The IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad after meeting with WhatsApp Vice President Chris Daniels says, "On the issue of traceability, I emphasised that when we talk of traceability, we don't talk of decrypting messages."

The minister insisted on finding people who send information which misleads people as a priority. "We insist rather on location and identification of the sender of WhatsApp messages when such messages lead to provocation of violence, heinous offences and other serious crimes," he said.

Minister Prasad adds that WhatsApp has assured him that their team will look into the matter and revert back. “They (WhatsApp) have also assured that they will work with my department in preventing circulation of spam farms," he said.

For months WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, has been under pressure to place a mechanism to suppress fake news. The governments world over themselves are under pressure to locate and identify the people spreading misinformation provoking violence and atrocious offences.

"I met Chris Daniels, along with his team, and discussed various issues of the past. They have assured us that they have appointed a grievance officer for India. I have suggested that we will appreciate if grievance officer is also located in India," Prasad said.

During the meeting, the minister said that WhatsApp is a vital device of circulating messages while election period.

"It is appropriate and desirable that the institutional integrity of this platform is maintained so that abusers cannot abuse it.”