Centre responds to Whatsapp, says no intention to violate right to privacy

NEW DELHI: Responding to WhatsApp’s lawsuit, the government of India says it respects the fundamental right to privacy and has no intention to violate it by demanding WhatsApp to disclose the first originator of a particular message.

This comes after WhatsApp filed a case against the government in the Delhi High Court protesting the new IT rules that came into effect earlier today.

According to the new IT guidelines, significant social media intermediaries like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter are required to trace first originator of any piece of information.

WhatsApp, however challenged the new rules claiming that these rules would violate the right to privacy of the users.

In a statement, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said that WhatsApp’s refusal to comply with the new IT rules as a “clear act of defiance”.

“The Government of India is committed to ensure the Right of Privacy to all its citizens but at the same time it is also the responsibility of the government to maintain law and order and ensure national security,” Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

The Minister further assured that  none of the measures proposed by India will impact the normal functioning of WhatsApp in any manner whatsoever and for the common users, there will be no impact.