Govt snubs WhatsApp's no, wants it to trace origin of fake news messages

Amid a spate of mob lynchings fuelled by misinformation, tracing the origin of fake messages has become a lingering tussle between the government and WhatsApp

It’s back to square one on the WhatsApp issue. 

In a statement on Thursday, the California-based messaging platform said: “Requiring traceability would undermine end-to-end encryption and the private nature of WhatsApp, creating the potential for serious misuse.” The firm would not weaken its privacy protections as people rely on WhatsApp for sensitive conversations, including with their doctors and banks, spokesperson Carl Woog said. 

Reacting, the government reiterated the company should step up its act in tracing the origin of fake texts — a subject of dispute between the two sides for long. “WhatsApp should give a more firm assurance of