Technoglitch
Core Member
The next time you read a message on WhatsApp, don't delete it - there's a chance you might be asked to show it to the police, and you might need to be able to show the message in plain text for 90 days after receiving it. That is if using WhatsApp is even legally permitted anymore.
The draft guidelines read "All citizens (C), including personnel of Government/ Business (G/B) performing non-official/ personal functions, are required to store the plaintexts of the corresponding encrypted information for 90 days from the date of transaction and provide the verifiable Plain Text to Law and Enforcement Agencies as and when required as per the provision of the laws of the country."
WhatsApp messages are now encrypted end-to-end. So do the guidelines mean you have to store a copy of all your WhatsApp messages for 90 days? What about Snapchat? Or any other form of ephemeral messaging that is automatically deleted after being read? The consumer is expected to maintain plain text copies of all communications for 90 days - so that these can be produced if required by the laws of the land - so, is it even legal to read a message that deletes itself?
The policy states that the vision is to create an information security environment, and secure transactions. But the actual details mentioned in the draft appear to do the opposite, and put a focus more on the lines of limiting encryption only to technologies that can be intercepted by the government, when required. This is in many ways similar to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's draft letter on Net Neutrality, which instead talks about issues like cyberbullying and 'sexting'. In the feedback period, Trai received over 1 million emails but the Department of Telecom report on Net Neutrality also went against public sentiment, suggesting that telcos should be allowed to charge extra for specific services, such as Skype or WhatsApp Voice calls in India, showing that calls for feedback aren't necessarily being taken seriously.
Deleting a WhatsApp Message Could Become Illegal in India | NDTV Gadgets
The draft guidelines read "All citizens (C), including personnel of Government/ Business (G/B) performing non-official/ personal functions, are required to store the plaintexts of the corresponding encrypted information for 90 days from the date of transaction and provide the verifiable Plain Text to Law and Enforcement Agencies as and when required as per the provision of the laws of the country."
WhatsApp messages are now encrypted end-to-end. So do the guidelines mean you have to store a copy of all your WhatsApp messages for 90 days? What about Snapchat? Or any other form of ephemeral messaging that is automatically deleted after being read? The consumer is expected to maintain plain text copies of all communications for 90 days - so that these can be produced if required by the laws of the land - so, is it even legal to read a message that deletes itself?
The policy states that the vision is to create an information security environment, and secure transactions. But the actual details mentioned in the draft appear to do the opposite, and put a focus more on the lines of limiting encryption only to technologies that can be intercepted by the government, when required. This is in many ways similar to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's draft letter on Net Neutrality, which instead talks about issues like cyberbullying and 'sexting'. In the feedback period, Trai received over 1 million emails but the Department of Telecom report on Net Neutrality also went against public sentiment, suggesting that telcos should be allowed to charge extra for specific services, such as Skype or WhatsApp Voice calls in India, showing that calls for feedback aren't necessarily being taken seriously.
Deleting a WhatsApp Message Could Become Illegal in India | NDTV Gadgets
