iWorld
Rollback WhatsApp’s new privacy policy: GOI to Facebook
KOLKATA: The union ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) has sought the withdrawal of the controversial new privacy policy sought to be introduced in India by the Facebook owned messaging service platform WhatsApp.
A notice issued to the social messaging platform has sought a reply by May 25, 2021, while noting that an unsatisfactory response may prompt legal action against the internet based application. The Indian government has previously banned several (similarly popular) web supported gaming applications emanating from neighbouring China after the Chinese military incursions into India’s sovereign territory resulted in lives of military personnel on both sides being lost.
The new privacy policy was initially expected to come into effect on 8 February but was deferred to 15 May in the wake of a severe backlash from users. WhatsApp intended to make it mandatory for users to agree to new data-sharing norms including one, it is alleged, that would result in sharing of data from WhatsApp business chats with third-party applications including its parent Facebook.
The advisory issued by the ministry on Tuesday noted, “The deferral (to May 15) does not absolve (read indemnify) it from respecting Indian users’ choice, the value of data security and informational privacy.”
MeitY is also unhappy with WhatsApp’s alleged discrimination between Indian and European users in the context of the same policy. According to the ministry, it is highly irresponsible of WhatsApp to leverage its position to impose unfair terms and conditions on the large number of Indian users using the messaging application for day-to-day communication purposes.
“In fulfilment of its sovereign responsibility to protect the rights and interests of Indian citizens, the government of India will consider various options available to it under laws in India,” the notice further stated. India constitutes the largest consumer base of WhatsApp with over 400 million subscribers resident here.
The private messaging platform has previously tried to allay fears over the privacy update stating that it was restricted to users of its business services and would in no way compromise the end-to-end encryption services offered by the application. “We’ve spent the last few months working to clear up confusion and misinformation. As a reminder this update does not impact the privacy of personal messages for anyone,” WhatsApp has repeatedly stated through recently issued advisories.
iWorld
Tips Music CEO Hari Nair to step down
Girish Taurani and Sushant Dalmia to jointly steer the company as the hunt for a new chief begins
MUMBAI: A leadership shuffle is under way at Tips Music. Hari Nair, the company’s chief executive, will step down on April 30 as the music label begins the search for a successor.
The company said Girish Taurani, executive director, and Sushant Dalmia, chief financial officer, will jointly oversee operations during the transition while the board identifies a permanent replacement.
Nair joined Tips Music in 2023 and set about reshaping the veteran music label into a more digital, data-led enterprise. During his tenure, the company secured licensing and partnership deals with global platforms including Sony Music Publishing and TikTok, while renewing agreements with Warner Music Group.
Drawing on earlier experience in technology and entertainment, including a stint at ByteDance, Nair pushed the organisation towards a performance-driven culture. He built a brand partnerships division and introduced proprietary software systems aimed at strengthening digital distribution and data capabilities.
Kumar Taurani, chairman and managing director, credited Nair with embedding a data-led culture within the company and driving revenue growth in line with shareholder commitments.
In his resignation note, Nair said that after helping transition the label into a modern, digitally focused and process-driven organisation, the time had come to pursue his next leadership challenge.
The leadership change comes as the broader Tips Films group shows signs of financial stabilisation. In the third quarter of FY26 the company reported a net loss of Rs 2.86 crore, narrowing sharply from Rs 14.2 crore in the previous quarter. For the nine months ended December, losses stood at Rs 12.37 crore.
Yet revenue told a more volatile story. Income from operations slid to Rs 4 crore in Q3 FY26 from Rs 56 crore in the preceding quarter, taking total operating income to Rs 4.56 crore.
For a company built on a catalogue of more than 34,000 tracks and decades of Bollywood hits, the next chief will inherit both a digital engine and a volatile music market. The playlist may be familiar, but the next act at Tips Music is only just beginning.
