Summary
WhatsApp 's newly appointed Head of India believes that although quite a number of steps have been taken to ensure user security on WhatsApp, the company has been taking additional steps to curb the spread of misinformation. In his first statement after taking over as country head in November 2018, Bose said WhatsApp is committed to keeping its users safe. This came in the backdrop of the Indian government asking all the social media platforms to take responsibility for their misuse. Bose also
Highlights:
- WhatsApp Head of Country believes that the platform has taken several steps to curb the spread of fake news and will continue doing so.
- The statement came after Indian government asked social media platforms to take measures so as to curb the spread of fake news.
- “We strongly believe that private messaging is fundamental to safety and 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. 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,” Bose noted.
- Bose's appointment will comply with Indian government's demand to set up an office and a recruit team in India.
- WhatsApp will help small business owners connect with their customers, launching its Payment app and develop a startup ecosystem to deliver critical India-first ecosystem scale and speed.
- Earlier, chief election commissioner Sunil Arora had said that all major social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, WhatsApp and Share Chat could accept only pre-certified political advertisements. The companies will also have to share expenditure on it with the Election Commission of India (ECI) and adhere to the “silence period” that comes into effect 48 hours before the polls.
- The Indian government had asked WhatsApp to trace the origins of misinforming messages, even if that would mean compromising on the privacy policies of the company. WhatsApp refused to comply.
- In February 2019, WhatsApp communication head Carl Woog had also said that the regulations being proposed by the central government are “threatening the very existence of WhatsApp in its current form."