Continuing with its firm stance on traceability, the government Wednesday stated that it has not sought decryption of WhatsApp messages but instead wants the location and identity of those misusing the platform to spread fake news that provokes violence. IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who met WhatsApp Vice President Chris Daniels, also asserted that the "institutional integrity" of the platform be maintained ahead of elections. "On the issue of traceability, I emphasised that when we talk of traceability, we don't talk of decrypting messages," Prasad said.

"We insist rather on location and identification of the sender of WhatsApp messages when such messages lead to provocation of violence, heinous offences and other serious crimes," he said. The minister added that he has been assured by the WhatsApp leadership team that they will look into the matter and revert. The Facebook-owned company has been under pressure for months now to put in place a mechanism to curb fake messages on its platform.