Representatives of WhatsApp Messenger has announced the next changes related to changes in the privacy policy. The company said it will not limit the functionality of those who refuse to accept the new platform rules. Writes about this The Verge.
The company explained that it made this decision after consulting a number of experts and government regulators. However, it will continue to prompt users to adopt new rules in order to enjoy additional features. What options will appear for those who agree is not specified.
At the beginning of the year, WhatsApp announced changes to its privacy policy. These changes allow for the smooth exchange of user data with Facebook. The announcement caused a lot of hype among the messenger users. Because of this, the company had to postpone the implementation of the changes.
Also, in May, representatives of the service said that users who refused to accept the new privacy policy will face limited functionality in WhatsApp. In particular, the company intended to block calls and messages to opponents of the changes.
Gizchina News of the week
WhatsApp Sues Indian Government Over New User Data Processing Rules
According to online sources, representatives of the popular messenger WhatsApp have filed a lawsuit against the local authorities with the Supreme Court of India. The reason for the litigation lies in the new rules for regulating social networks, which, according to the messenger, violate the rights of citizens to privacy.
This is a provision under which WhatsApp shoud provide, at the request of the authorities, the details of the first sender of the information. Although the new rules affect users of the messenger who are suspected of wrongdoing, they will entail the disclosure of other people’s data, which, according to WhatsApp, is unacceptable. The fact is that messages in the messenger has an end-to-end encryption. This means that if the information about the sender of the message is disclosed; as well as the data about the recipient.
WhatsApp, which has an estimated 400 million user base in India, reportedly went to court on Wednesday. At what time the service complaint will be considered is still unknown. WhatsApp officials declined to comment on the matter. A government spokesman said the messenger could find a way to identify offenders without breaking encryption.
The source notes that the new lawsuit exacerbates the struggle between the Indian government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and tech giants such as Facebook and Alphabet, the parent company of Google, in one of the largest markets.
