The Indian government has called on Meta to take action against the increasing number of scams on WhatsApp, which have been affecting users across the country. This move follows a recent appeal by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and concerns raised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the rise in digital frauds, specifically during a recent episode of Mann Ki Baat.
S Krishnan, the Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), confirmed that the government is actively addressing the growing problem of cyber frauds on WhatsApp. He noted that the government is engaged in ongoing discussions with Meta to find solutions.
In an interview, Krishnan said, “We have taken it up with Meta. This is a continuous process. These scammers are constantly finding new ways to target people and cause concern.”
He explained that when harmful content is reported, the platform follows a set procedure. "The IT rules mandate that companies have a grievance officer for users to report issues. Users can file complaints within the app or externally. If the problem isn’t resolved, there’s also a grievance appellate committee," Krishnan added.
Anil Kumar Lahoti, Chairman of TRAI, also confirmed that WhatsApp-related issues fall under MeitY’s jurisdiction. He mentioned that the authority had urged the government to investigate the increasing scams on the popular messaging app. It is important to note that services like WhatsApp, X, Instagram, Telegram, and Signal are not yet covered by TRAI regulations.
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