The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has strongly objected to the new WhatsApp privacy policy through which all kinds of personal data, payment transactions, contacts, location and other vital information of a person who is using WhatsApp will be acquired by it and can be used for any purpose by WhatsApp.
CAIT in a communication sent to Minister for Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad, has demanded that the government should immediately restrict WhatsApp from implementing the new policy or put a ban on WhatsApp and its parent company Facebook.
Facebook has more than 200 million users in India and enabling it to access data about every user by a company can pose a serious threat to not only the economy but even to the security of the country.
CAIT said, "It reminds us of the days of East India Company who entered India to trade salt only and invade the country but at this time it is the data which is very crucial to wreck the backbone of economy, social structure, etc. The Facebook- WhatsApp combine has shown their true colours by first facilitating the Indians to use Facebook and WhatsApp without any charge but now seeking access to data, its ultimate object seems to control trade & economy of India beside other hidden agenda."
WhatsApp is to implement its changed Privacy Policy from next month in India which will force people using WhatsApp to accept the changed terms if they want to avail the usage of WhatsApp or else they will have to delete the WhatsApp from their mobile. The new rules will be implemented next month, and if a user doesn't accept the policy, then he has to delete the WhatsApp application from his mobile. It will be disastrous when this data will be used by both WhatsApp and Facebook for various purposes, including the enablement of Facebook to use data with an e-commerce portal or compromising data with various companies to earn commercial benefits. Since Facebook being the parent Company of WhatsApp will be able to access all such data, CAIT said.
It will cause much disturbance when WhatsApp can collect data about usage, the kind of phone user is using and his location. Through new terms, WhatsApp will also access the bank account of the user. Not only this but WhatsApp will know what user is paying you and to whom and other related details like what is purchased and what will be the location of delivery. It can track every user, CAIT said. By obtaining such huge data they will accurately know the purchasing and spending behaviour of users.
