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<ul><li>India’s IT Ministry will have its <keyword id="85206" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Parliamentary-committee">Parliamentary Committee</keyword> will be taking up the <keyword id="4298942" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Whatsapp-hack">WhatsApp hack</keyword> on November 20. </li><li>Meanwhile RSS activist, <keyword id="149676" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="KN-Govindacharya">KN Govindacharya</keyword>, is trying to get the <keyword id="6354977" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Supreme-Court">Supreme Court</keyword>’s attention. </li><li>Lawyers feel the petition will only result in the government citing national security and sealed cover. </li></ul>The WhatsApp security breach has caught the attention of India’s IT ministry. A Standing Parliamentary Committee (SPC) will be looking into the incident on November 20. The chairman of the committee explained that there had been a number of requests for comments on the disclosure of ‘snooping on Indians’, according to the <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/house-panel-to-take-up-whatsapp-snooping-issue-on-november-20-6105248/">Indian Express</a>. Meanwhile, a right wing activist from Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), KN Govindacharya, is trying to draw the attention of the Supreme Court to this matter. He <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/snoopgate-criminal-suit-in-sc-against-whatsapp-govt/articleshow/71913901.cms">filed a petition</a> asking FIRs to be registered against Facebook, Whatsapp and the NSO Group. But going to the Supreme Court might be redundant, according to lawyer Gautam Bhatai. “In recent times, the Supreme Court’s own record in matter where facts are still to established has been the strongest. There exist other institutions — including Parliamentary Committees — who have already stated that surveillance issues fall within their remit,” he tweeted. 
	
	<div type="twitter" handle="gautambhatia88" handlename="Gautam Bhatia" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/898610250181361664/2CoNa01q_normal.jpg" favoritecount="167" retweetcount="90" status="As we were informed when the scandal broke, the software is only sold to government or government affiliates. Going… https://t.co/vHjXSbHQMT" createdat="1572877774000" id="1191361850992201728"></div>




 In the name of national security Facebook <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/heres-why-facebook-is-suing-the-nso-group-over-the-whatsapp-hack/articleshow/71814518.cms">filed a lawsuit</a> against the Israeli security firm, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-hacker-pegasus-spyware-attacked-100-others/articleshow/71851228.cms">the NSO Group</a>, claiming that the privacy of 1,400 users was compromised by spyware — Pegasus. Overall, 121 Indian users were reportedly hacked — of which two dozen were <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-confirms-indian-activists-and-journalists-were-hacked-as-nso-claims-its-contractually-prohibited/articleshow/71831583.cms">activists, journalists and lawyers</a>. None of them have come forward to file their own FIRs yet. 
	
	<div type="twitter" handle="gautambhatia88" handlename="Gautam Bhatia" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/898610250181361664/2CoNa01q_normal.jpg" favoritecount="144" retweetcount="55" status="Among those targeted by the surveillance are human rights defenders, many of whom are lawyers. They have the locus… https://t.co/JXiL3XmBsB" createdat="1572877896000" id="1191362362009362432"></div>





 Some people believe that it’s not a strong case to begin with. “This is a case that is just asking for the government to come to court and shout “national security”+”sealed cover” as they have been known to do at the drop of a hat,” tweeted Bhatia. In January 2006, Amar Singh — a politician — filed a petition with the Supreme Court that his <a href="https://www.rediff.com/news/2006/jan/06flip.htm">phones were being tapped</a>. At the time, the Supreme Court barred the media from publishing any excerpts from these leaks. Five years later, the case was dismissed stating that Singh suppressed facts relevant to the case. In 2008, the government authorised the tax department to <a href="https://freespeechdebate.com/discuss/the-nira-radia-tapes-controversy-and-the-right-to-privacy/">tap Nira Radia</a>, a corporate lobbyist, for 120 days. In May 2009, that time frame was extended by another 120 days. Parts of these tapes were then leaked to the media — including excerpts that including details of the 2G scam. Rata Tata, then chairman of the Tata Group, along with NGO Center for Public Interest Litigation, <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/Supreme-Court-to-examine-Ratan-Tatas-petition-on-Niira-Radia-tapes/article15579055.ece">filed a petition</a> to restrict the circulation of these tapes because it violated his right to privacy. That petition is still pending judgement. “It is a collusive litigation initiated by #govindacharya. Strategy being, file a weak case hovering round frivolous irrelevant averments so as to ensure its dismissal by court. The dismissal can then be quoted by the wrongdoers as 'vindication of their innocence',” tweeted former civil servant, NN Ojha.

Investigating the WhatsApp hack  — Parliament probe might trump the judiciary

<ul><li>The <keyword id="6355014" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="delhi-high-court">Delhi High Court</keyword> issued a notice to social networking platforms to notify them of their designated officers in charge of removing <keyword id="2479020" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Fake-news">fake news</keyword>.</li><li>The court issued the notice in response to a plea filed by former RSS leader KN Govindarcharya accusing these platforms of “misusing free speech”.</li><li>The matter will be heard again on April 14.</li></ul>The Delhi High Court issued a notice to social networking platforms — including Facebook, Google and Twitter — to tell them who’s in charge of removing fake news and hate speeches. According to the bench, each intermediary should have at least one designated officer in charge of such tasks under the Informational Technology Act, 2000. 
	
	
	
	<div type="twitter" handle="barandbench" handlename="Bar &amp; Bench" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1209342311512985606/KwSEwwiK_normal.jpg" favoritecount="17" retweetcount="5" status="Delhi HC issues notice in plea to formally notify details of designated officers for intermediaries under Informati… https://t.co/syGtPliALS" createdat="1583905807000" id="1237616775920930816"></div>









 The court’s notice is in response to a plea filed by former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1237615991422500864">KN Govindacharya</a> accusing “various social media companies of misusing the idea of free speech and not complying with Indian laws which result in a divisive society and riots-like situation”. The notice was issued by the bench constituting Justice DN Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar. The next hearing will take plan on April 14. <keyword id="6406418" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="hate-speech">Hate speech</keyword> online bursting into violence offline The issue of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/indias-second-highest-ranking-law-officer-sees-no-urgency-in-a-case-on-delhi-violence/articleshow/74318695.cms">registering FIR’s against hate speech</a> being circulated on social media was brought up last month on February 26. The petition filed by social activist and former IAS officer Harsh Mander was heard on an ‘urgent’ basis. It drew a link between the turbulence and provocative speeches by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur and Pravesh Verma. According to the Special Commissioner of Police, there are 48 pending FIRs with the police on hate speech. The Solicitor General Tushar Mehta asked for more time to file a counter-affidavit and the matter will be heard again on April 13. BJP leader Ashwini Kumar has filed his own PIL with the Supreme Court. It seeks the implementation of the Law Commission Report on hate speech. The court is yet to take up the petition. Protests in India Massive protests have erupted around India after the government announced its new citizenship laws — the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Population Registry (NPR). The problem of fake news plagues WhatsApp more than Twitter or Facebook, where there are still some level of quality control in place. On the Facebook-owned messaging app, users have the freedom to share unverified information that can’t be traced back to its original sender. It’s one of the most popular apps on the market with 400 million users. In comparison, Twitter only has 8 million Indians online. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/nationalism-main-causes-of-fake-news-in-india/articleshow/66591404.cms">Hyper-nationalism behind India’s fake news menace: Report</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/how-to/how-to-fact-check-fake-news-on-whatsapp/articleshow/74451906.cms">How to fact check fake news on WhatsApp</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/google-facebook-twitter-reveal-political-ad-spending-ahead-of-the-lok-sabha-2019-polls/articleshow/67651472.cms">Here's how global tech giants are tackling 'fake news' ahead of elections in the world's largest democracy</a>

Facebook, Google and Twitter have till April to tell the Delhi High Court who's in charge of removing fake news

<ul><li>Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are already being called before the Indian government ahead of general elections in the country. </li><li>But they may be in more hot water with a local think tank sending a letter to the Indian government to look into Facebook — and other tech companies — lobbying efforts.</li><li>This development comes after the Guardian revealed documents exposing Facebook’s “global lobbying operation.”</li></ul>Not only are social networking companies <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/facebook-twitter-questioned-by-indian-government-ahead-of-elections-2019/articleshow/68183865.cms">being questioned</a> by the Indian Parliamentary Committee to safeguard against the upcoming general elections in the country but it appears they may face pressure to be brought under the regulatory lens for lobbying as well. The Center for Accountability and Systemic Change (CASC) has <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/think-tank-asks-panel-to-probe-facebook-s-lobbying-practices-in-india-119030400982_1.html">filed a letter</a> with the Indian Parliament’s standing committee to look into the influence that social media networks have on the government. The letter signed by the former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ideologue, KN Govindacharya, and CASC’s advocate states that a social media company’s financial statements may be called into question to estimate its turnover from India operations.”as well as the amount spent on lobbying to delay the data protection law”. This comes after The Guardian <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/mar/02/facebook-global-lobbying-campaign-against-data-privacy-laws-investment">revealed a report</a> about Facebook’s “secretive global lobbying operation” on Saturday — citing a list of countries that included India. Social networking companies versus India Facebook, Twitter Instagram and Whatsapp are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/google-facebook-twitter-reveal-political-ad-spending-ahead-of-the-lok-sabha-2019-polls/articleshow/67651472.cms">already</a> under the Indian government’s scanner for deterring foreign influence or political bias on their platforms. Twitter was recently called into question for being biased against right wing Twitterati. Facebook’s track record is already in question due to the Cambridge Analytica <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/exclusive-eu-warns-that-facebooks-cambridge-analytica-crisis-is-the-tip-of-an-iceberg-of-data-scandals/articleshow/64270966.cms">scandal</a> and the role it played in the 2016 US Presidential election. Whatsapp, bought out by Facebook in 2014, is still <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/what-india-needs-from-whatsapp-might-not-be-so-easily-attainable/articleshow/65497255.cms">battling it out </a>over end-to-end encryption with the Indian government after forwarded messages — accused of spreading misinformation — caused a series of lynchings in the country. Instagram, also owned by Facebook, has managed to stay out of mainstream trouble so far but there have been <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/on-instagram-in-india-its-sex-for-sale/articleshow/67968645.cms">reports</a> of the platform turning into a safe haven for sexual solicitation. That may not be political influence or foreign manipulation, but it does call the social networking site’s screening into questions. The letter by the CASC questioned data localisation laws have not been implemented despite the numerous examples of data breaches. While Twitter’s CEO, Jack Dorsey, didn’t show up for the Parliamentary meeting in front of the Indian government — he did sent Colin Crowell, Twitter’s Vice President and Global Policy Head. After the meeting, the company was issued a 10-day deadline to respond to the panel’s questions. Facebook is scheduled to appear before the same committee tomorrow but Mark Zuckerberg, the company CEO or Sheryl Sandberg, its COO will be able to make it to India. Instead, Joel Kaplan, Vice President and Head of Global Public Policy at Facebook, will be present at the meeting instead. Concerns have heightened since one of the memos disclosed by The Guardian exposed how Facebook encouraged Enda Kenny, the former Irish Prime Minister, to use his influence on the Data Protection Directive during Ireland’s presidency of the European Union — as it was a “threat to jobs, innovation and economic growth in Europe.” The Indian government hasn’t issued a response yet but it appears social networking sites may face pressure to be brought under the regulatory lens for lobbying as well. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/facebook-twitter-questioned-by-indian-government-ahead-of-elections-2019/articleshow/68183865.cms">After Twitter, Facebook will face questions from the Indian Parliament</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/google-facebook-twitter-reveal-political-ad-spending-ahead-of-the-lok-sabha-2019-polls/articleshow/67651472.cms">Here's how global tech giants are tackling 'fake news' ahead of elections in the world's largest democracy</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/facebook-india-users-behind-growth-despite-hacking-data-breaches/articleshow/67770559.cms">Indians can't get enough of Facebook despite all controversies</a>

Social networking sites may have more to answer for ahead of the elections in India

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Investigating the WhatsApp hack — Parliament probe might trump the judiciary

Prabhjote Gill

Facebook, Google and Twitter have till April to tell the Delhi High Court who's in charge of removing fake news

Prabhjote Gill

Social networking sites may have more to answer for ahead of the elections in India

Prabhjote Gill

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