WhatsApp has been the talk of the town ever since its announced the new privacy guidelines earlier this year. But it also has been grabbing all the attention for dragging the government to court for new IT rules in India. The legal complaint filed in Delhi Court is yet to get a final verdict.
Amidst all this fiasco, a new message is being shared across WhatsApp that suggests a new red tick will appear on messages that are being monitored by the government. The new information claims that the Indian government has started implementing the new IT rules and court proceedings have started against the user. So, is this a valid claim or just another hoax message? Let's find out:
Is The Indian Government Spying On Your WhatsApp?
A new message is doing rounds on WhatsApp stating the Indian government new communications rules are being implemented as the instant messaging platform has filed a case for the new IT rules citing traceability cause as the major concern.
The message warns the masses that following the implementation of the new IT guidelines, the government will be recording calls and monitor the social media accounts of all users. It further raises fears by suggesting that the government would arrest the users who spread negative messages or hate against the government and religion.
The message also suggests that once the new IT rules are in place, all the devices would be "connected to the ministry system". This will allow the government to have complete control of a user's WhatsApp and other accounts.
Facebook has found a loop to notify a user if their messages are being monitored by the government, adds the hoax message. So if there are two blue ticks and one red tick, the government is keeping a tab on your account. If there are three red ticks, the government has already started court proceedings against you.
Are These Claims True?
It is worth noting that WhatsApp is based on an end-to-end encryption service. This means only you and the person you have sent the message has the access to the data. The company itself can't read the messages, so the government spying on users is entirely false. No calls are being recorded, neither the messages are being read.
The message doing rounds online is a confirmed hoax. It might seem legit considering the new IT rules demand the social media brands to reveal the originator of a message. But, that's not exactly what the guidelines suggest. It appears that the message is sent across to create a panic amongst the users. But, we would suggest you ignore any such message is received.