Facebook, Twitter officials to appear before parliamentary panel on IT today

News agency ANI reported that recent changes in the privacy policy of Facebook-owned messaging platform WhatsApp will also be discussed at the meeting of parliamentary panel today.

The standing committee of Parliament on Information Technology has summoned the officials of Facebook and Twitter on Thursday to hear their views on safeguarding citizens’ rights and prevention of misuse of social/online news media platforms.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor heads the parliamentary panel on information and technology. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

The agenda of the meeting has been uploaded on the website of the Lok Sabha secretariat.

News agency ANI reported that recent changes in the privacy policy of Facebook-owned messaging platform WhatsApp will also be discussed. The sitting of the committee will be held at 4 pm, according to ANI.

The Centre had recently asked WhatsApp to withdraw the latest changes to its policy that triggered boycott calls and said the “unilateral changes” are unfair and unacceptable.

However, WhatsApp has backed these changes, saying they don't expand its ability to share user data with Facebook and the messaging app is working on addressing “misinformation” about it.

“We wish to reinforce that this update does not expand our ability to share data with Facebook. Our aim is to provide transparency and new options available to engage with businesses...” a WhatsApp spokesperson said.

On January 16, WhatsApp delayed the introduction of these changes to May 15 after massive backlash and users moving en masse to other messaging applications such as Signal and Telegram.

The 30-member parliamentary standing committee on IT is headed by Dr Shashi Tharoor, Lok Sabha MP from Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram constituency.