As India’s new IT rules kicked in on Wednesday, WhatsApp took the government to court. Ravi Shankar Prasad, the Union Minister of Communications and IT, tried to allay fears by saying the government is committed to ensuring the right to privacy for its citizens but it also has to maintain law and order and ensure national security. Traceability of problematic content is a contentious issue as it could mean compromising end-to-end encryption and user privacy. If you are opening an entire system of communications, you are leaving it vulnerable to hackers, says Kazim Rizvi, founding director of policy think-tank ‘The Dialogue’. There are methods that are privacy-focused, less intrusive, and can help the government meet its target without violating the privacy of users, he told StratNews Global. Listen in for more.

Podcast Producer: Manas R. Tarai