WhatsApp, other digital platforms free to do business in India but without compromising on sanctity of personal data: IT minister Prasad

Amid controversy over the issue of data sharing and privacy breach, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister for Communications, Electronics & Information Technology and Law & Justice, said WhatsApp and other digital platforms are free to do business in India but without compromising on the sanctity of personal data. He reiterated that personal communication needs to be contained. The statement comes at a time when WhatsApp is facing backlash after it announced its new privacy policy which would link the user data from WhatsApp to other products. The new policy was earlier slated to be rolled out from February 8 but later the deadline was pushed to May 15.  Recently, the Facebook-owned messaging app issued a clarification that it is committed to protecting users' privacy as it does not access or read anyone's messages or location.

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“Be it Facebook, be it WhatsApp, or any other digital platform in India, you are free to do business in India but do it in a manner without impinging upon rights of Indians who operate them. The sanctity of personal communication needs to be contained. The doctor is talking to a patient is a privileged communication. Lawyer is talking to his client is a privileged communication…. The sanctity and privilege of this communication needs to be preserved,” Prasad said at 15th India Digital Summit, organized by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).

As the country became more digitised in the aftermath of coronavirus outbreak, there is a need for data privacy law and the IT minister assured that the data privacy bill will be pushed on fast track through parliamentary approval. He added that its architecture has been enacted after the widest consultation and currently it is under examination by the select committee of Parliament. Data s linked with digital sovereignty of India because it is involved in autonomy of India as far as the ownership of data is concerned, said Prasad.

On 5G spectrum, Prasad said it is in evolving stage. He urged that the Indian innovative minds must contribute to 5G which is made in India. “We missed 2G and 3G but we don’t want to miss 5G. Therefore, we developed an Indian test bed, and IITs are involved, so that all innovative aspects of 5G can be considered. Indian players must be proactive in creating an Indian 5G model. 5G must be developed in order to enable inclusive character of its processes for healthcare, education and farming. India’s appetite for 5G will be overpowering as a good commercial enterprise,” he said.