WhatsApp update: Messaging app to build India team amid spectre of fake news controversy

Popular messaging app WhatsApp, which is in the middle of fake news controversy, is reportedly planning to strengthen its India presence by building a team in the country. WhatsApp is reportedly in the process of hiring a top executive to lead its India team. The Facebook-owned company recently received a series of warnings from the government for its platform being used to spread fake news. 

The US company said in reply to a notice said it understands the government’s concern about the messaging app being abused as a broadcast platform and would work hard to check the abuse. For this purpose the company is using both machine learning and user reports to ban accounts engaging in abnormal behavior, a Business Standard report said citing WhatsApp letter.

WhatsApp Director and Associate General Counsel Brian Hennessy in a letter to the government said the company was increasing investigations into spam operations and look forward to partnering with local authorities on this effort. The letter was sent on July 27, 2018, the report said.  “We also agree that abuse during elections is a real concern. We are intensifying our election integrity efforts in advance of the Indian elections,” the company added.

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WhatsApp said during the recent Karnataka elections, it had detected dozens of WhatsApp accounts engaged in ‘’spammy’’ behaviour and those accounts were banned subsequently. The messaging app, however, said tracing of messages back to their source was against the privacy and security of the app. It said that users relied on it for sensitive conversations and even police is using the platform to discuss investigations while citizens are reporting crimes.