Encrypted, Blocked, Deepfaked. Who Is Editing Your Truth?
Three tech fights trended across Indian timelines this weekend. WhatsApp told the Delhi High Court it would rather leave India than break end-to-end encryption to trace message originators under the 2021 IT rules. YouTuber Dhruv Rathee claimed his Modi-critical reel was blocked in India and urged fans to download and reshare it. And Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma posted a dancing clip to mock the Congress, until fact-checker Mohammed Zubair pointed out the dancer was Sarma himself, years ago. An AI video of Sarma and ministers dancing Gangnam Style made the rounds too. What exactly is WhatsApp refusing to do? Trace the "first originator" of a message. WhatsApp argues that cannot be done without weakening encryption for everyone. The government argues tracing helps fight scams and rumours. Separately, SIM-binding rules from January 2027 will tie apps like WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal to active registered SIMs. So is WhatsApp the hero here? No corporation gets a he...
