Fake news: Experts say asking WhatsApp to do govt's job a misplaced notion

Steps taken to prevent misuse of the platform have to be balanced with data privacy and security concerns, say experts

The government recently asked instant messaging (IM) platform WhatsApp to “comply with Indian laws”, “bring in accountability” and “facilitate enforcement of law” to prevent the spread of fake news and rumours. Legal experts agree that the government is well within its sovereign rights to ask any IM platform to comply with the law of the land or any such regulation which is necessary to maintain law and order. But, several experts disagree over whether it is a good idea to ask a communication platform to monitor, report and filter any misuse; this may well go against the grain of the