India govt has backdoor to WhatsApp
a year ago
- #digital-taxation
- #government-surveillance
- #privacy
- Government seeks to include digital spaces under income tax search and seizure provisions.
- Current Section 132 of I-T Act covers only physical assets, not digital ones.
- WhatsApp messages, Google Maps, and Instagram have helped uncover unaccounted funds and properties.
- Concerns raised about privacy violations and government access to encrypted messages.
- Government can access encrypted messages under DPDP Act for national security and law enforcement.
- WhatsApp does not store message content but may share metadata under lawful requests.
- Google Maps location history can be accessed with a court order for investigations.
- Google is changing its Location History feature to store data locally, enhancing privacy.