The other was the BJP’s Lok Sabha member Meenakshi Lekhi announcing that the Joint Parliamentary Committee she was heading had finished its deliberations on the Personal Data Protection Bill (PDP Bill) and that it was ready to be tabled in the budget session of Parliament.
The common link between the two? The vexing issue of personal data and privacy.
While WhatsApp and its alternatives became the topic of debate from Twitter trends to family conversations (many, ironically, on WhatsApp itself), the PDP Bill barely got newsprint, despite India’s chequered past in protecting data privacy. The bill itself has been shifting form, reach and substance right through. As Lekhi hinted a week ago, the very name of the bill is to be changed, besides 89 other changes, one new clause and two new amendments.
But, is the indignant Indian WhatsApp user missing the forest for the trees?
The new terms of service integrate WhatsApp with Facebook, though the company claims only conversations with business accounts will be impacted. “Messages between loved ones and friends remain encrypted. That’s not changing,” reiterated WhatsApp’s global head Will Cathcart.
Denne historien er fra January 24, 2021-utgaven av THE WEEK.
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Denne historien er fra January 24, 2021-utgaven av THE WEEK.
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Hat-Trick Or Has-Beens?
India look to win their third straight Test series in Australia, but ageing superstars and recent humiliation at home have cast a shadow on their hopes
Constipation Can Put Your Heart At Risk
PEOPLE WITH CONSTIPATION have an increased risk of major cardiac events, including heart attack, stroke and heart failure, especially if they also have high blood pressure, finds an international study published in the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology.
Too Much Sitting Can Accelerate Ageing
SITTING FOR EXTENDED PERIODS can harm the heart and accelerate ageing, even if you are young and get the minimum recommended amount of daily exercise, according to a US study published in the journal PLOS One.
Efficiency and innovation
As health care evolves, professionals must employ innovative methods to refine their skills
Level up
Only 30 per cent of needy patients are able to undergo transplant in India; we need more dedicated transplant centres
HOPE STEMS FROM A CELL
While stem cell therapies have shown success in treating blood disorders, orthopaedic ailments, autoimmune diseases and eye issues, there is hope that they can one day treat patients with heart disease, blindness, Parkinson's, HIV, diabetes and spinal cord injuries
Mind matters
Your mindset can limit or expand your physical ability
Cutting edge
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The smallest cut
Minimally invasive surgeries have a bright future, with virtual reality and 3D procedures offering greater precision and AI on the horizon
Signalling a revolution
Canadian scientist and entrepreneur Sachdev Sidhu is focused on bringing cutting-edge antibody engineering to his country of origin
