The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) requested Facebook-owned instant messaging giant WhatsApp to introduce a feature that would first ask for the users' consent before adding them to any group (public or otherwise).
The move has been triggered by complaints government agencies have been receiving from people saying that they were being added to groups repeatedly without their permission.
As per a Financial Express report, a senior government official said that MeitY received representation from several agencies regarding this and decided to take up the matter with the messaging platform.
“Following these complaints, MeitY wrote to WhatsApp. The social media app responded by saying that as per their policy, group admin must have the subject’s number stored in the phonebook and if the subject exits the group twice, then he/she cannot be added a third time,” the official said.
Earlier, WhatsApp had introduced a feature wherein the group's administrator must have the users' number stored in the contact list.
‘Urge WhatsApp to Explore New Safeguard’
But several reports said that even after exiting the group twice, users were added through a different admin.
“Following this, MeitY has again written to WhatsApp appreciating the efforts it is taking to check such practices, but pointed out that these measures were not adequate. Now the ministry has again urged them to explore introducing this feature where a subject’s consent is taken before adding him/her to any group. WhatsApp response on this is awaited,” the official added, as per the report.
WhatsApp has been at the centre of a growing storm in India for its part in the fake news epidemic, that has even led to cases of mob lynchings across the country.
Asking it to assume responsibility, the goverment had asked the company to set up an office in India and look into the mater. Following this, WhatsApp had appointed a grievance officer in September and an India country head last month.
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