India asks telcos to find ways to block Facebook, WhatsApp

New Delhi : India has asked its telecom operators to find ways of blocking applications such as Facebook and messaging app WhatsApp in the case of misuse, according to a document seen by Reuters.

The department of telecommunications in July asked Indian telecom service providers, as well as mobile and internet industry bodies, to “explore various possible options” to block such apps. “You are ... requested to explore various possible options and confirm how the Instagram/Facebook/Whatsapp/Telegram and such other mobile apps can be blocked on internet,” according to the government letter dated July 18 and seen by Reuters. Facebook Inc, which owns both WhatsApp and photo-sharing platform Instagram, declined to comment. Telegram did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A source at department of telecommunication (DoT) said the letter was aimed at finding ways to block such apps during “emergency situations”. “There is a need for a reasonable good solution to protect national security,” said the official, who declined to be named. For WhatsApp, India is its biggest market with more than 200 million users and one where it says people forward more messages, photographs and videos than any other country. Following calls from the government to stem the platform’s misuse, WhatsApp has moved to deter mass message forwards.