We need a law that has clarity on enforcement: Mishi Choudhary on the WhatsApp Privacy Policy

The recent changes in the WhatsApp Privacy Policy once again brought to the fore questions surrounding data protection and the right to privacy of Indian citizens.Ever since the announcement, the Facebook-owned company has left no stone unturned in trying to convince Indian users that their data remains secure despite its intention to share the same with its parent company.However, that has not stopped citizens from approaching various courts in a bid to make WhatsApp withdraw its new policy. In fact, the Indian government itself was reported to have asked the messaging platform to roll back its purported changes.Even as these developments take place, the deadline by which users must consent to allow sharing of their data (February 8) fast approaches.To better understand the changes that the new WhatsApp privacy policy seeks to introduce, as well as the implications of the same, Bar & Bench spoke to tech lawyer and Legal Director of Software Freedom Law Centre (SFLC) Mishi Choudhary.In this interview, Choudhary speaks about what information WhatsApp seeks to share, the need for legislation in India to address issues of data privacy, how law is always two steps behind technology, and more.
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