Indian government is looking very serious towards the impact internet is having on our lives. The latest sources reveal that govt. is looking for ways to block WhatsApp and Facebook both permanently and temporarily. The big news is that several other big names including Instagram and Telegram are in the list of platforms that government is looking to ban.
A letter quoted media shows that the telecom companies like Airtel, Jio, MTNL and Vodafone are “requested to explore various possible options and confirm how the Instagram/Facebook/Whatsapp/Telegram and other such mobile apps can be blocked on internet.”
ASSOCHAM has replied that “blocking these popular mobile apps or sites would not be a wise move. The blocking would be “excessive, unnecessary and would greatly harm India’s reputation as growing hub of innovation in technology,” the statement from the organisation read.
Experts believe that this letter is the result of government’s warning WhatsApp over the incidents in which the app was used to spread rumors. Note that, over two dozen people in India have been killed for an alleged offence without a legal trial during last 6 months.
WhatsApp, in response, has tried improving the service and started some measures in hope of stopping misinformation and fake news on its platform. For example, the number of messages that can be forwarded have been limited now.
Also Read: How China Is Quietly Dominating India’s Internet
Countries like China and Iran already have a policy in which these tech companies are blocked so that other countries can not get the information about China easily. However, in India, currently, it seems that blocking Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and others apps is not technically possible.
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