Union IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar issued a subtle warning to WhatsApp today as the messaging platform posted a graphic on its Twitter account showing an incorrect map of India. He later deleted that tweet and apologized.
The map, while highlighting India on the globe, had excluded Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and some Indian territories claimed by China.
In a “request” for WhatsApp to correct it, the minister said in a quote tweet, “All platforms doing business in India and/or wanting to continue doing business in India must use the correct cards.”
Screenshot of the minister’s tweet quoting the WhatsApp graphic containing the wrong card. WhatsApp later deleted his tweet.
Mr. Chandrasekhar tagged Meta, the company that owns WhatsApp among other platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
It was hours after WhatsApp sent out the tweet – advertising its New Year’s Eve live stream in multiple locations – that the minister noticed and addressed Meta at around 4pm.
WhatsApp then deleted and tweeted: “Thank you Minister for pointing out the inadvertent error; we deleted the feed quickly, apologies. We will be careful in the future.”
Earlier this week, Chandrasekhar also warned the founder of video calling company Zoom, Eric Yuan, about an incorrect map of India. “You may want to make sure you are using correct maps of the countries where you do/want to do business,” the minister tweeted on Dec. 28. Eric Yuan also later deleted the tweet with the map.
In June 2021, Twitter as a platform came under heavy criticism for displaying a distorted map of India and removed it after an online backlash.
Misrepresentation of the Indian Territory can lead to a police case and the law also provides for a prison sentence.
India has also expressed annoyance with companies and other bodies, including the World Health Organization, for using incorrect maps, particularly to depict Kashmir.
