Firms to ID Message Creators for India? TechCrunch

India’s regulators may be considering regulations that would require social media and instant-messaging firms to help authorities identify the source of messages and content. Law enforcement agencies would have to obtain court orders. “But regardless, asking companies to comply with such a requirement would be ‘devastating’ for international social media companies, a New Delhi-based policy advocate told TechCrunch on the condition of anonymity,” reports Manish Singh. “WhatsApp executives have insisted in the past that they would have to compromise end-to-end encryption of every user to meet such a demand – a move they are willing to fight over.” Government officials declined to comment on the proposals. Tech firms, security experts and privacy advocates have expressed concern about lack of transparency as India prepares revisions to local intermediary liability guidelines. Currently, US and India laws insulate companies from responsibility for misuse of their tools. The proposal, as described by anonymous sources, would increase liability for companies that fail to expose creastors of messages. India’s ability to enforce the proposed regulations could be in question. – YaleGlobal