New Delhi: As part of its ongoing initiative to take down the entire “digital arrest” infrastructure, WhatsApp is considering a new method where they can block particular device IDs, and not only individual accounts. In what will likely become an important step towards cracking down on increasing cyber-fraud, the Union government informed the Supreme Court about WhatsApp’s decision.
The latest submission comes as part of a detailed status report prepared by the Ministry of Home Affairs. It will be considered by the Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, on May 12. As per the status report, the central government, along with banks, telecom sector authorities, and law enforcement agencies, has developed a comprehensive national strategy to deal with the increasing number of fraud cases. The latest development came following the apex court’s suo moto cognizance of the matter back in October after receiving a horrific letter from a 73-year-old Ambala woman, who had been duped of over ₹1 crore by some imposters claiming to be CBI officers.
The Four-Fold Enforcement Plan
The Inter-Departmental Committee (IDC) set up by the Central government since December has identified four crucial measures to address the issue:
- Platform Responsibility: In addition to the WhatsApp study on the blocking of devices, the Centre is working on quicker detection of fake profiles.
- Banking Protections: Enforcing tighter surveillance mechanisms for freezing “mule accounts,” which help in transferring the money from bank accounts.
- Mobile Identity Tracking: Strengthening the process of authentication to avoid any forged identities for acquiring mobile services.
- Victims’ Protection: Creating a legal framework to ensure that the victims suffer no monetary loss because of the carelessness of the regulated bodies such as banks and telecom service providers.
Court Supervision and Responsibility
The IDC has made it clear that the banks and telecom operators will be accountable for any failure on their part, which might lead to the occurrence of fraud. By focusing on the physical equipment (device IDs), instead of virtual accounts, it is hoped that criminals will not have an escape route by changing their contact details frequently.
With the Supreme Court ready to review the proposed measures, the emphasis is on setting up a “national coordinated framework.”
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