Probably all of us are using WhatsApp as it is one of the most important instant messaging applications available in the internet domain. The majority of people use WhatsApp on their smartphone to share messages and images with each other. It is an important form of social media that has influenced the psyche of the modern users.
WhatsApp CEO Chris Daniels, who is in India to meet the government officials, was told on Tuesday that WhatsApp needed to open a local entity — a local office with corporate Indian entity — on priority. Daniels was given the instruction by the IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in a meeting in New Delhi. Daniels visit to India comes weeks after the Indian government told WhatsApp to curb spread of misinformation on the chat app after several incidents of lynching in the country. The lynching incidents that have lead to over two dozen people losing their lives were reportedly fuelled by rumours spread through WhatsApp.
The IT ministry officials said there were three issues that were part of the discussion in the meeting between Daniels and Prasad. These three issues were:
1. WhatsApp must have a local corporate entity in India. The IT Ministry says that WhatsApp has agreed to the demand. It is worth noting that for WhatsApp India is its biggest country. Apart from opening a corporate entity, WhatsApp has also been told to appoint a grievance officer in the country. In case any WhatsApp user has a grievance, they will be able to approach to office.
2. WhatsApp must comply with the Indian law. Once the corporate entity is there, WhatsApp will be automatically under the Indian laws and regulations.
3. WhatsApp must start an awareness campaign to curb fake news and misinformation on its platform. This is another demand to which WhatsApp has agreed, noted IT ministry officials.
And all these issues are agreed by WhatsApp.WhatsApp is still managed by the teams in Mountain View where the company has its main office. Now lets wait for it, to have a set up in India!
