The industry responded angrily to this clause after the Department of Telecommunications issued the draught Indian Telecommunications Bill proposal recommending that OTT communication apps like WhatsApp get a government licence.
While the government and business parties are debating the bill, services like WhatsApp and Signal could not need operating permits. Following the negotiations, it was decided that the user protection clauses included in the legislation should be the main emphasis of these apps. A revised version of the Bill that takes into account the industry’s initial ideas and revisions will be made available for additional discussion.
