Summary
WhatsApp has taken quite a number of steps to prevent the spread of fake news, especially ahead of the upcoming general elections. However, the company has agreed to take more steps to make the platform fully secure from spreading fake news and misinformation. After taking over as head of India operations of the Facebook-owned messaging platform early this year, country head Abhijit Bose in his first statement said that the company strongly believes that private messaging is fundamental to
Highlights:
- Abhijit Bose, in his first statement as the head of India operations of WhatsApp early this year, stated that company strongly believes that private messaging is fundamental to safety and that the company would take several measures to prevent the sprad of misinformation and fake news through its platform in India.
- "We're pleased that the recent changes we've made to limit viral content and educate users is having an impact. This work is never done - there is more that we can and will do," noted Bose who is hiring the first full country team outside of California which will be based in Gurugram.
- "I am going to be listening closely and learning in the months to come, and I look forward to working with stakeholders here in India on our common safety goals," said Bose.
- WhatsApp has around 200 million monthly active users in India, which is WhatsApp's biggest market in the world.
- WhatsApp has also opened a payment feature which would leverage UPI and make cash transactions simpler.