Messaging application WhatsApp has appointed a grievance officer for India and provided users with a process to flag complaints and concerns about the service, PTI reported on Sunday. WhatsApp’s website mentions that users can contact grievance officer Komal Lahiri, who works in the United States.
The appointment was reportedly made at the end of August. An unidentified company spokesperson declined to comment on the appointment, but asked it to look up the Frequently Asked Questions section on the website. Lahiri’s Linkedin profile shows that she is Whatsapp’s senior director of global customer operations and localisation.
The Indian government had criticised WhatsApp over fake news being circulated on its messaging platform. A spate of mob lynchings claimed several lives across the country earlier this year, after mobs believed rumours circulated on WhatsApp.
On August 21, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad met WhatsApp Chief Executive Officer Chris Daniels in New Delhi to discuss solutions to technological challenges related to the messaging application in India. Prasad said he had suggested that WhatsApp appoint a grievance officer in India to tackle problems.
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