<h5>Oh no! WhatsApp is leaving India?</h5><p>Don’t worry, WhatsApp users - the app is still functional in India.</p><p>But, WhatsApp has recently told the Delhi High Court (HC) that it would stop functioning in India if forced to break its end-to-end messaging encryption.</p><p>WhatsApp and its parent company, Meta, made this statement during a hearing at the HC.</p><h5>WhatsApp opposes government rule!</h5><figure class="image"><img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/newsahoot.appspot.com/o/whats-app-plans-to-leave-india%2FWhatsApp_chatting.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=f882c4e4-0320-4ff0-877b-31dd8dd341e4"><figcaption>A person chatting on WhatsApp. Photo by Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0</figcaption></figure><p>The company has challenged an Indian government rule. This rule states that all social media companies providing messaging services must reveal the first originator of a message if the court or a government body orders them to do so.</p><p>The first originator can be referred to as the person who has initially created a message and sent it using platforms like WhatsApp.</p><p>To reveal the first originator, WhatsApp has to break its end-to-end messaging encryption feature.</p><h5>What is end-to-end encryption?</h5><p>Imagine you and your friend are playing for a cricket team and want to discuss some strategies. But you don’t want others to know your plans.</p><p>You write it down on paper, lock it in a box with a special key and send it to your friend. Your friend can unlock it using the special key and see your plan.</p><p>During this process, nobody else can read what's inside the box, as only you and your friend can open it. This is how end-to-end encryption works.</p><p>Whenever you chat with your friends on WhatsApp, only you and your friend can read your messages. Nobody, including the government, can read what you are saying.</p><h5>Debate between WhatsApp and the government.</h5><p>WhatsApp says its end-to-end encryption feature is essential for protecting user privacy. They say people use WhatsApp for this feature as they know their chats are secured.</p><p>The company says breaking this feature will violate its users' fundamental rights to privacy and free speech, as people have the right to discuss something in private.</p><p>The government says they will only need the information to track people who have done criminal activities and not for others. For example, if someone starts a riot by spreading false information using WhatsApp, the government can track the person and punish them.</p><p>But, with the end-to-end encryption feature, there is no way to trace such messages. So, there’s more to be discussed before a concrete decision can be taken by the government and WhatsApp.</p>

WhatsApp has threatened to stop operations in India if they are forced to break their privacy feature.

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