Page 70 - PR COMMUNICATION AGE July - December 2020

WhatsApp privacy policy: Sanctity, privilege of

personal communication needs to be

maintained - Ravi Shankar Prasad

O n a day the Ministry of talking to his patient, a lawyer talking procures the data must ensure proper

safety and sanctity of the data.
Electronics and Information
to his client or a family talking among
Technology
to
wrote
each other on WhatsApp group are all
WhatsApp
CEO
Will
the data movement across the globe
Cathcart, asking him to reverse the privileged communications and "I do acknowledge the implicit need of
sanctity of that needs to be respected.
new privacy policy that went live to keep the digital commerce intact
earlier this month, saying unilateral This is the first time that the minister but the ground rule is that movement
changes are not fair and acceptable, was speaking on the new privacy policy must be clearly laid out. There must be
Communications and IT minister Ravi of the popular encrypted messaging reciprocity of data sharing and we shall
Shankar Prasad said the sanctity and app, WhatsApp which has raised a never compromise on data
privilege of personal communications huge user backlash, so much so that sovereignty," Prasad said. He also said
needs to be maintained. the company which was to implement that the Data Protection Bill is under
it from February 8 has put it on hold examination by the select committee
Responding to a question at the 15th till May 15. of Parliament and once the report
India Digital Summit organised by comes, it will be fast-tracked for
IAMAI, Prasad said that all digital Parliament's approval.
While doing everything to protect data
companies are free to operate in India privacy, Prasad said that he wants
but without impinging upon the rights India to become a big centre of data On 5G, the minister asked Indian
of Indians. "This is an issue that my economy. He said that the country had players to create an Indian 5G model.
department is working on, and being the potential to become a data "As far as 5G is concerned, it is still
the final authority, it will not be proper refinery where data cleaning, data evolving. We missed 2G and 3G but we
for me to make comments, except to don't want to miss 5G. Therefore, we
flag one thing very clearly, be it processing, data innovation can developed an Indian test bed, and IITs
WhatsApp, be it Facebook, be it any happen. "So many new data centres are involved, so that all innovative
digital platform, you are free to do are coming in the private sector. aspects of 5G can be considered. 5G
must be developed in order to enable
business in India but do it in a manner
Data economy must prosper in India by inclusive character of its processes for
without impinging upon the rights of
Indians who operate there," Prasad developing a complete ecosystem in healthcare, education, farming. India's
said. this regard," the minister said. He, appetite for 5G will be overpowering
however, said as data is linked to as a good commercial enterprise," he
He added, "I've only spoken on digital sovereignty of the country, it said.
principles, given that my department must be procured through consent and
is working. I have to await that". on voluntary basis and must be used for On production-linked incentive scheme
the objective for which it has been for domestic handset manufacturing,
Citing examples, Prasad said a doctor collected and the data fiduciary who Prasad said it was launched during the

"Love finds you not because you are seeking it, but because you are giving it."

70 PR COMMUNICATION AGE July - December 2020