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Friends, to stop the increasing cyber crime in the country, the Government of India has increased its surveillance on technology platforms and in the last three weeks has issued several notices and instructions to companies like Meta, WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal. The purpose of which is to address the concerns to cyber crime, user security, anonymity, piracy and child safety.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) have taken several steps to ensure that digital platforms operate responsibly and comply with Indian regulations.

WhatsApp username feature banned: Meta was directed not to launch the proposed username feature of WhatsApp in India until the government’s concerns were addressed.

Information sought about the anonymizing feature from Signal and Telegram:

Both messaging platforms have been asked for information about their anonymizing features; The government is investigating whether these tools can be used for illegal activities.

Telegram receives anti-piracy notice: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued a separate notice to Telegram regarding copyright infringement and dissemination of pirated content.

Meta investigation regarding Instagram ads: Meta is also facing investigation as it is alleged that ads containing pornographic videos involving children were shown on Instagram. Officials have started investigating this matter.

MeitY Secretary S. what did krishnan say

According to Bussiness report, MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan said the government’s concerns are not limited to just a few isolated incidents, but relate to the entire architecture and design of these digital platforms.

Explaining the decision to question WhatsApp’s username feature, Krishnan said the government believes it could increase the risk of identity misuse, impersonation and cyber fraud.

He further said that this is another way through which cyber crimes can be committed, that is why the government has sought clarification from WhatsApp about the purpose and need of bringing this feature. Government has sought clarification from several platforms

Krishnan also confirmed that similar clarifications have been sought from other technology companies as part of a broader effort to strengthen digital security and accountability.

At the same time, Rohit Kumar, founding partner of public policy firm ‘The Quantum Hub’ (TQH) said that there is some special reason behind every regulatory action of the government. According to him, the recent notices are targeted interventions to tackle different issues – such as cyber security, online anonymity, piracy and child safety – rather than any coordinated action.