New Delhi
A day after the government voiced concern over WhatsApp messages triggering lynching in parts of the country, the US-based social media platform said fake news, misinformation, and hoaxes can be checked by the government, civil society and technology companies working together.

Outlining steps it has taken to curb abuse of its platform, WhatsApp in its response to a notice sent by the IT Ministry said it has the ability to prevent spam but since it cannot see the content of private messages, blocking can be done only based on user reports.

WhatsApp said it retains limited information and is end-to-end encrypted but this privacy protection has trade-offs in form of “the inability to see problematic content spreading through private conversations on our app.”

“We use this technology to protect our user’s privacy and security. While WhatsApp messages can be highly viral, the way people use the app is by nature still very private. Many people are not in a group…,” it said.

Responding to the notice, WhatsApp expressed confidence that with the right action “we can help improve everyone’s safety by ensuring communities are better equipped to deal with malicious hoaxes and false information while still enabling people to communicate reliably and privately across India.” With India being its biggest market with over 200 million users, the Facebook Inc-owned messenger service asserted that it responds to “valid” law enforcement requests in investigating crimes.

Whatsapp said it is “horrified by these terrible acts of violence” and its strategy to deal with the situation involves giving people the controls and information they need to stay safe while working proactively to prevent misuse of the service.