New Delhi: In a stern message to WhatsApp, the government on Tuesday said the messaging platform would need to set up a local corporate entity and find a technology solution to trace the origin of fake messages circulated through its platform.
IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, after meeting WhatsApp Head Chris Daniels, said the Facebook-owned messaging app had contributed significantly to India's digital story, but it needs to find solutions to deal with "sinister developments" like mob-lynching and revenge porn.
"I had a very productive meeting with Chris Daniels, the CEO of WhatsApp. I complimented him for the extraordinary technological awakening which WhatsApp has led in the entire country... But there are also very sinister developments, which are provoking crimes like mob lynching, revenge porn. You (Whatsapp) must find solutions to these challenges which are downright criminal and violation of Indian laws," he said. Prasad said he had asked WhatsApp to set up a corporate entity in India, appoint a grievance officer and find a technical solution to tracing the origin of fake messages on its platform.