Few weeks ago, India requested WhatsApp to find out a solution to trace the source of viral fake messages. However, in response, now Whatsapp has denied the request of Indian Government to come up with a technology like this.
It is important to know that WhatsApp and Indian Government are not in the best of terms since the past few months. The reason behind this dilemma is a series of mob-lynching incidents in which almost two dozen innocent people have been killed as a result of fake news being spread widely on WhatsApp.
As a result, to control the circulation of fake news, Indian Government had demanded WhatsApp to have an official presence in India to revise the messaging application interface so it can put a check on forwarded messages. This will allow Indian government to identify the source of viral news.
Although, the company can’t risk losing its biggest market with 200M users so it is working to set up an office in India. However, according to Whatsapp it is company can’t do anything against the users’ privacy as it is right of user. hence , WhatsApp has rejected the demand to allow tracing of messages.
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However, the messaging app would focus on educating users about viral and fake messages instead of sharing the users’ data.
In this regard, the company is putting its efforts to using online and offline means to educate users about how to recognize fake news and not avoid the the fake news chain.
Moreover, a few weeks ago WhatsApp has also limited the quota for ‘forward message’ . Since, more than 20 people have been victims of fake ‘forwarded messages’ menace.
On the other hand, the government of India has threatened to shut down the service of Whatsapp in their country if the social platform doesn’t cooperate in eradicate fake news mess.
Citing the same reasons, Twitter was also on the edge of being blocked in Pakistan. As social media platform is not cooperating and working for filtering and eradicating blasphemous material from Twitter.
