Mass Criticism Leads To Withdrawal of Encryption Policy

BANGALORE: Followed by the eruption of a controversy and the public disagreement, the government had made amendments in the draft for national encryption policy that would have brought about a big change in the operations of WhatApp, SMS or Google Hangouts. But as of now, the government is reviwing the draft and is working on the ammendments before final presentation to the public. The Department of Electronics and Information Technology elucidated in a draft that social websites and applications with mass following will be freed from the purview of the Policy, reports Livemint.

The mass-use encryption products used in web apps, social media websites and apps, and e-commerce platforms have faced exemption from the purview.

This implies draft encryption policy will not be applicable to social media platforms like Whatsapp, Facebook and Twitter. The users also wouldn’t have to store the messages in text format for a stretch of 90 days. Even the service providers will be exempted from signing contracts with the government.

The ministry also explained that the services like Internet-banking, e-commerce and payment gateways using SSL/TLS (secure sockets layer/transport layer security) encryption products will be exempted.

SSL forms a secure connection during transactions between Internet browsers and websites whereas the protocol, TLS, makes sure that privacy is maintained during communication online.

The draft policy was criticized as “anti-privacy law” and “draconian’. Shortly after facing the mass protest and discontent the IT ministry clarified about the amendments made.

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