Govt proposes alpha-numeric hash to track Whatsapp chat

The Centre has proposed that Whatsapp assign an alpha-numeric hash to every message sent through its platform as a solution to break the deadlock over traceability on the messaging app, according to reports quoting senior officials. The hash can travel with the message and in case of any unlawful activity, the originator of the message can be traced without breaking the app’s encryption, the sources were quoted as saying. In February, the Centre notified the Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 that mandates traceability of first originator of a message flagged by either a court of law or an authorised government agency. Facebook-owned Whatsapp, which counts India as its largest market with over 400 million users, has so far, resisted the demand to trace the origin of flagged messages citing inviolability of its privacy norms while also communicating its inability to provide traceability due to the lack of appropriate technology.