Will You Have to Pay for WhatsApp Calls Now?

WhatsApp has been controversial for quite some time now. It all started with the announcement of the privacy policies. It extended to the company possibly forcing users to accept the policies or let go of the app. There are multiple alternatives of the app out there, but the user base is huge, and it can be difficult for every user to shift all the data to a new platform. Plus, not everyone is planning on switching platforms because of the high number of contacts present on WhatsApp.

Amidst all this, another new challenge that can be faced by the user is paying for WhatsApp calls. Calling over the internet was one of the features that WhatsApp came out with first. It has since been taken up and adopted by a number of other social messaging apps. The calling feature that used to be free can now be paid.

The Government of India is planning on bringing the calling feature of apps like WhatsApp under regulation. This can result in the Government charging a licence fee from WhatsApp like they do with the telecom providers. WhatsApp calling might also be intercepted by the Indian security agencies now. This can mean that the privacy of the calling feature is also at stake.

This has not been finalized yet but if it actually happens then users will have to compromise on their privacy on two fronts. First front being the WhatsApp privacy policy itself and secondly, by this rule. The privacy of the app will only be present on paper and users will have to shift to other apps in order to uphold their privacy and data.

This might sound like a big shift, but there are several alternatives to WhatsApp that can actually work equally well without hindering the privacy of the users.