iWorld
WhatsApp declines tracking message source in India
MUMBAI: WhatsApp has rejected the Indian goverment’s demand for a solution to track the origin of messages on its platform, saying building traceability will undermine end-to-end encryption and affect privacy protection for users.
Earlier this week, Information Technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, during his meeting with the WhatsApp CEO Chris Daniels, had suggested that the social media company find the source of “fake” news and WhatsApp forwards. He said that the government has asked WhatsApp to set up a local corporate entity and find a technology solution to trace the origin of fake messages circulated through its platform as well as appoint a grievance officer.
Prasad acknowledged the role played by the Facebook-owned company in India’s digital story, but was stern that WhatsApp could face abetment charges if it did not take action to tackle the issue of fake news being circulated on its platform.
WhatsApp is under scrutiny in India after the circulation of fake news and rumours on its platform were blamed for several incidents of mob violence and lynchings. The company has since announced several measures – such as introducing a ‘forwarded’ label for messages as well as a limit on how many people a message can be shared with at once.
What makes the rumours problem worse on WhatsApp is its sheer scale in India. The Facebook-owned messaging app is the most popular choice for users in India with the over 200 million active users in the market. The company had also revealed that India is the one market where forwarding messages is very popular. It recently announced an update to limit WhatsApp forwards to just five chats in India. In global markets, it is testing a limit of 20 chats for forwards.
iWorld
Hari Om OTT partners Amazon MX Player to widen devotional reach
Spiritual stories find a bigger stage as platform eyes global audiences
MUMBAI: Hari Om OTT is taking its faith-first storytelling to a wider audience, signing a strategic distribution deal with Amazon MX Player that places its entire content library on the popular streaming platform.
Launched in June 2024, Hari Om OTT has carved a niche in devotional and spiritual content, offering shows rooted in Indian mythology and cultural traditions. With this new partnership, both its existing catalogue and upcoming originals will now be available on Amazon MX Player, making access easier for viewers across the country.
The collaboration also stretches beyond borders. To scale its global footprint, the platform’s content will additionally be available on Amazon Prime Video, opening the doors to international audiences seeking culturally rich, faith-based narratives.
Hari Om OTT’s growing slate includes titles such as ‘Mata Saraswati’, ‘Jai Mahalakshmi’, ‘Jai Jagannath’ and ‘Shri Tirupati Balaji’, with several new originals currently in the pipeline as part of this expansion.
Speaking on the development, executive vice president group Priyannka Chaurasiya described the partnership as a significant step forward. She noted that the platform has always focused on stories deeply rooted in Indian history but with universal appeal. Aligning with a platform that has a vast global reach, she said, allows these stories to travel further and resonate with audiences worldwide.
With this move, Hari Om OTT is not just widening its reach but also placing devotional storytelling firmly in the mainstream streaming conversation, where faith meets format and tradition finds a digital stage.
