The new Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines And Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021 were notified in February 2021. The rules mandate that messaging apps like Whatsapp must identify the source of criminal messages and share it with law enforcement agencies. 

The Special Rapporteurs of the United Nations wrote to the Indian government these rules violate the right to privacy and freedom of speech and expression enshrined in the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights. Whatsapp has moved the Delhi High Court, contesting the rule on tracing the source of messages. They say that it violates the landmark Puttaswamy judgment of the Supreme Court which declared privacy as a fundamental right.

But is it even technologically possible for Whatsapp to trace the source of every text on its platform? This is the first of a two-part series on the traceability clause of the government’s new IT rules. In this episode, our reporter Suryatapa Mukherjee speaks to Dr Debayan Gupta, an assistant professor of computer science at Ashoka University, and Anand Venkatanarayanan, a strategic adviser at cybersecurity firm DeepStrat. They explain how enabling traceability could mean disabling encryption. Encryption keeps all our messages secret, even from Whatsapp.

This episode is supported by dialogue. Dialogue has not exercised any editorial control over the contents of this podcast.  

Additional reading:

Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code Rules 2021
WhatsApp moves Delhi high court against new guidelines
UP Police Lodge FIR Against Lucknow Hospital Which Put Up 'Oxygen Shortage' Notice
Calls for backdoor access to WhatsApp as Five Eyes nations meet
Amid controversy with WhatsApp, RS Prasad defends digital media guidelines
Former Twitter employees charged with spying for Saudi Arabia by digging into the accounts of kingdom critics
Justice KS Puttaswamy (Retd) vs Union Of India 2018 

The new Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines And Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021 were notified in February 2021. The rules mandate that messaging apps like Whatsapp must identify the source of criminal messages and share it with law enforcement agencies.&nbsp;
The Special Rapporteurs of the United Nations wrote to the Indian government these rules violate the right to privacy and freedom of speech and expression enshrined in the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights. Whatsapp has moved the Delhi High Court, contesting the rule on tracing the source of messages. They say that it violates the landmark Puttaswamy judgment of the Supreme Court which declared privacy as a fundamental right.
But is it even technologically possible for Whatsapp to trace the source of every text on its platform? This is the first of a two-part series on the traceability clause of the government&rsquo;s new IT rules. In this episode, our reporter Suryatapa Mukherjee speaks to&nbsp;<a href="https://ashoka.edu.in/faculty#!/debayan-gupta-1157">Dr Debayan Gupta</a>, an assistant professor of computer science at Ashoka University, and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/iam_anandv">Anand Venkatanarayanan</a>, a strategic adviser at cybersecurity firm DeepStrat. They explain how enabling traceability could mean disabling encryption. Encryption keeps all our messages secret, even from Whatsapp.
This episode is supported by dialogue. Dialogue has not exercised any editorial control over the contents of this podcast.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Additional reading:
<a href="https://www.meity.gov.in/writereaddata/files/Intermediary_Guidelines_and_Digital_Media_Ethics_Code_Rules-2021.pdf" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.meity.gov.in/writereaddata/files/Intermediary_Guidelines_and_Digital_Media_Ethics_Code_Rules-2021.pdf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1625381067292000&amp;usg=AFQjCNH124TLhuApqZ_We5fQZ253Ix3xkQ">Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code Rules 2021</a> <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/whatsapp-moves-delhi-high-court-against-new-guidelines-101622004852954.html" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/whatsapp-moves-delhi-high-court-against-new-guidelines-101622004852954.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1625381067292000&amp;usg=AFQjCNENddlDPpnRVP7ambGHsdxrGwDW4Q">WhatsApp moves Delhi high court against new guidelines</a> <a href="https://thewire.in/government/up-police-lodge-fir-against-lucknow-hospital-which-put-up-oxygen-shortage-notice" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://thewire.in/government/up-police-lodge-fir-against-lucknow-hospital-which-put-up-oxygen-shortage-notice&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1625381067292000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGvXwugu2suob73X8RgGqZXyLoUhg">UP Police Lodge FIR Against Lucknow Hospital Which Put Up 'Oxygen Shortage' Notice</a> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jul/30/five-eyes-backdoor-access-whatsapp-encryption" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jul/30/five-eyes-backdoor-access-whatsapp-encryption&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1625381067292000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEps5BL7gNfDu7KLuT4c1Jh-tn-lw">Calls for backdoor access to WhatsApp as Five Eyes nations meet</a> <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/amid-controversy-with-whatapp-rs-prasad-defends-digital-media-guidelines-on-koo-101622096538883.html" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/amid-controversy-with-whatapp-rs-prasad-defends-digital-media-guidelines-on-koo-101622096538883.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1625381067292000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGn9HrirzJ44_XrPGACZmYYY9PHxQ">Amid controversy with WhatsApp, RS Prasad defends digital media guidelines</a> <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/former-twitter-employees-charged-with-spying-for-saudi-arabia-by-digging-into-the-accounts-of-kingdom-critics/2019/11/06/2e9593da-00a0-11ea-8bab-0fc209e065a8_story.html" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/former-twitter-employees-charged-with-spying-for-saudi-arabia-by-digging-into-the-accounts-of-kingdom-critics/2019/11/06/2e9593da-00a0-11ea-8bab-0fc209e065a8_story.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1625381067292000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHL6LxCJ2ZSpQRt4DfQBImVBRMTzw">Former Twitter employees charged with spying for Saudi Arabia by digging into the accounts of kingdom critics</a> <a href="https://indiankanoon.org/doc/127517806/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://indiankanoon.org/doc/127517806/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1625381067292000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEfaePCTT-7PDF4Mmig2G0tyV0xTQ">Justice KS Puttaswamy (Retd) vs Union Of India 2018</a>&nbsp;

The Suno India Show’ is a news show by Suno India combining slow journalism with under-represented and under-reported stories. Covering the diverse range of topics like politics, technology, education and society, the host brings in informative interviews and engaging discussions with experts. The show not only shines a spotlight on stories that matter but keeps the listeners up to date with the latest national news.

The Suno India Show&rsquo; is a news show by Suno India combining slow journalism with under-represented and under-reported stories. Covering the diverse range of topics like politics, technology, education and society, the host brings in informative interviews and engaging discussions with experts. The show not only shines a spotlight on stories that matter but keeps the listeners up to date with the latest national news.

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