In an effort to clamp down on fake news and sinister messages, global messaging service Whatsapp has appointed a grievance officer for India. Whatsapp's website lists out steps to contact the grievance officer.
The website mentions that users can seek help through the mobile app or write to Komal Lahiri, Whatsapp's grievance officer for India. Lahiri is based in the US.
When news agency PTI contacted Whatsapp, they declined to comment on the matter but pointed to the public FAQ on the company's website that contains these details. The appointment of the grievance officer was made at the end of August, PTI reported.
They added that the grievance officer for India being based in the US is in tune with similar practices by other American tech giants.
The Indian government has been pressing WhatsApp to develop tools to fight fake news and messages in India. One of the demands of the Indian government, according to news agency PTI, was to appoint a grievance officer for India.
India is one of the largest markets for WhatsApp, with over 200 million users.
In July this year, WhatsApp had limited message forwards to five chats at a time. It had also added a 'forward' label to help users identify if the message was forwarded.
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