Indian government refutes claims of monitoring WhatsApp messages
Delhi : Platforms for social media have surely transformed communication and made it possible for people to interact with their loved ones. Along with their advantages, these platforms are also used to disseminate misinformation and false information. The task of locating and discrediting such false information is one that the government takes seriously. In response to a false claim making the rounds on social media, the government's official Twitter account, PIB Fact Check, has now issued a comment.
The claim in question implied that the Indian government was monitoring and reading individual WhatsApp chats. These claims were untrue, as demonstrated by an image that PIB Fact Check tweeted. The graphic showed a variety of indicators that WhatsApp employs to denote various message states. A single tick, for example, signifies that a message has been sent, whereas two blue ticks signal that the message has been read. These are well-known characteristics of the messaging platform.
However, the perpetrators of the deceptive claim added more signs to confuse the public. According to their fabricated material, three blue clicks signified that the government had taken note of the communication, while two blue and one red tick implied that the government could take action against the sender. Furthermore, a combination of one blue and two red ticks supposedly indicated that the government was investigating the sender's data. Finally, the claim stated that three red ticks indicated that the government had launched legal action and that the sender would be summoned to court.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that red ticks are not used to indicate message status on the official WhatsApp app. It uses grey ticks instead, which turn blue after the recipient receives the message. Any graphic that suggests red ticks on WhatsApp and government surveillance is therefore categorically false. The Indian government does not check private conversations on WhatsApp or any other social media site, according to PIB Fact Check. No action is started based only on the content of private messages. Furthermore, WhatsApp communications have been declared to have no value as evidence by the Supreme Court of India, proving that such assertions are unfounded.
In an age when misinformation spreads like wildfire, it's critical to stay attentive and check information from reputable sources before spreading or trusting it. Fact-checking projects such as PIB Fact Check are critical in combating fake news and encouraging more informed and responsible usage of social media platforms.
