The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology will send a notice to WhatsApp on the issue of spam calls from unknown international numbers, Minister of State for Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Thursday, asserting that the onus of ensuring user safety lies with digital platforms.
The digital platforms are responsible and accountable for ensuring the safety of “digital nagriks”, the Minister said, adding that the government will respond to every instance of alleged misuse or alleged breach of users’ privacy.
The Minister's comments assume significance as WhatsApp users in India have reported a massive surge in incoming international spam calls over the past few days. Many users complained on Twitter that a major chunk of these spam calls had country codes belonging to Indonesia (+62), Vietnam (+84), Malaysia (+60), Kenya (+254) and Ethiopia (+251).
