The IT ministry reached an understanding that the US tech giant's iMessage app would not be considered a social media intermediary. An Apple logo

Centre Withdrew Letter Seeking Apple's Compliance With New IT Rules

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2021-07-15 09:30:08

The IT ministry reached an understanding that the US tech giant's iMessage app would not be considered a social media intermediary.

An Apple logo hangs above the entrance to the Apple store on 5th Avenue in the Manhattan borough of New York City, July 21, 2015. Photo: Reuters/Mike Segar/File Photo/File Photo

New Delhi: While the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had written to Apple India seeking its compliance with the new IT Rules with respect to its iMessage service, the letter was later withdrawn after the government reached an understanding that the app would not be considered a ‘social media intermediary’, according to the Indian Express.

This development is significant because the Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code stipulate social media platforms to identify the first originator of a message. Messenger services such as WhatsApp have challenged the rule, saying it would mean the ‘end of privacy‘ as companies will have to break end-to-end encryption. If Apple is not considered a social media intermediary, then this rule will not be applicable to the company.

According to the Indian Express report, MeitY had written to Apple India on May 26, following the end of the 90-day period for social media intermediaries to comply with the IT Rules. It was withdrawn after the government reached an understanding that iMessage would not be considered a ‘social media intermediary’ as it was not “primarily or solely” an instant messaging service provider for enabling interaction between two or more users, the report said.

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