Govt. Orders WhatsApp To Stop Hate Messages; Whatsapp Says Societies Are Responsible
More than 30 people have died due to WhatsApp rumours in the last 12 months
In the last one year or so, more than 30 people have been lynched based on Whatsapp rumors. This is a pretty serious issue, never seen anywhere else in the world.
Govt. of India has finally woken up, and taken due consideration of this severe case of wronged judgement, by the masses.
Govt has written to Whatsapp, asking them to stop this madness.
In their reply, Whatsapp has indirectly passed the blame to our society.
Can Whatsapp really stop these lynching of innocent people? Atleast Govt thinks so…
Govt of India To WhatsApp: Stop Hate Messages
Whatsapp rumors have unfortunately taken 31 lives across states like Assam, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tripura and West Bengal in the last 12 months.
Most of these deaths have taken place due to fake, or false Whatsapp messages circulating in the area. Any unfortunate bystander or tourist caught at that particular moment faced the wrath of the masses, and got killed.
Whatsapp is the platform through which such messages are propagated, and Govt. now wants them to act.
In a strongly worded letter addressed to Whatsapp, Ministry of Electronics and IT has asked Whatsapp to make sure that such fake, hateful messages are not spread.
Or in other words, Whatsapp should stop this.
IT Ministry said, “Deep disapproval of such developments has been conveyed to the senior management of the WhatsApp and they have been advised that necessary remedial measures should be taken to prevent proliferation of these fake and at times motivated/sensational messages.”
Govt. is asking Whatsapp to develop technology which can stop the propagation of such hate messages.
Whatsapp Replies Back: Societies Are To Be Blamed
Whatsapp has responded to the Govt. of India’s request to stop the spread of such messages, and have said that they are too deeply concerned about the deaths.
However, in the end, they have said that Whatsapp is just a platform for sharing messages, and it is the societies which should take responsibility.
Whatsapp’s statement said, “WhatsApp cares deeply about people’s safety and their ability to freely communicate. We don’t want our services to be used for spreading harmful misinformation and believe this is a challenge that companies and societies should address.”
In a way, Whatsapp is absolutely correct here. All they provide is a tech enabled platform, which is now encrypted, and even they cant access the message. This has been done to enhance the security and safety of users.
Now, due to this same very reason, Whatsapp cannot filter the messages, based on some words or phrases. If they are able to do so, then it defeats the purpose of encryption.
Instead, Govt. of India should make sure that no one dares to play with the laws of the nation, and make their own judgement related with any case. Besides, a deeper understanding and education of masses is required, related with identifying fake and provocative news.
Maybe we need a cultural revolution here.
How can Govt. make sure that no-one is killed due to Whatsapp rumors? Do share your opinions and views on this burning issue, by commenting right here.
