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As per RBI, UPI permission not given to WhatsApp

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Published : Aug 1, 2020, 2:07 PM IST

Updated : Feb 16, 2021, 7:31 PM IST

RBI has told the Supreme Court it has not granted permission to WhatsApp (WhatsApp Pay) to go live for full-scale operations on the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payment system.

RBI denies whatsapp UPI,Storage of Payment System Data
As per RBI, UPI permission not given to WhatsApp

New Delhi:

RBI denies whatsapp UPI,Storage of Payment System Data
As per RBI, UPI permission not given to WhatsApp
RBI denies whatsapp UPI,Storage of Payment System Data
As per RBI, UPI permission not given to WhatsApp


The RBI also denied that its circular on April 6, 2018 on "Storage of Payment System Data" has been toned down by FAQs issued on June 26, 2019. "It is submitted that Payment System Operators (PSOs) had sought clarification on certain implementation issues, from time to time, from Reserve Bank and the FAQs are intended to provide clarity on those issues to facilitate and ensure expeditious compliance by all PSOs," said the affidavit.

Also Read: WhatsApp Pay, a result of Reliance Jio and Facebook owned WhatsApp partnership

The RBI acknowledged that the NPCI had communicated to it the System Audit Report and the Post Change Review Report sent to it by WhatsApp, which touched upon the details concerning the storage of payment system data. The RBI said that accordingly, by letter dated November 1, 2019, the NPCI was advised to ensure that the payment data elements, as referred to therein, are not stored by WhatsApp outside India beyond permitted timelines.

RBI denies whatsapp UPI,Storage of Payment System Data
As per RBI, UPI permission not given to WhatsApp





Subsequently, the NPCI had, through its letter dated January 7, said that they had received a letter from WhatsApp agreeing to complete all the pending issues by May 31, and requesting permission to go live.

The NPCI had then requested RBI's approval to grant the final 'go-live' to WhatsApp on UPI, subject "to (a) the third-party audit report confirming closure of the committed 2 items, and (b) acceptable VA/config reports from third party auditor".

WhatsApp had already informed the top court that it would not roll out its payment service without full compliance with the norms.

The RBI's response came on an application filed by the Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change, through advocate Virag Gupta, seeking a complete stoppage of the trials being conducted by WhatsApp Pay, alleging that the company has continued beta testing on its payments system on 1 million users in violation of data localization norms in India.

Also Read: 3 individuals charged for Twitter hacks using Bitcoin Scam

(Inputs from IANS)

New Delhi:

RBI denies whatsapp UPI,Storage of Payment System Data
As per RBI, UPI permission not given to WhatsApp
RBI denies whatsapp UPI,Storage of Payment System Data
As per RBI, UPI permission not given to WhatsApp


The RBI also denied that its circular on April 6, 2018 on "Storage of Payment System Data" has been toned down by FAQs issued on June 26, 2019. "It is submitted that Payment System Operators (PSOs) had sought clarification on certain implementation issues, from time to time, from Reserve Bank and the FAQs are intended to provide clarity on those issues to facilitate and ensure expeditious compliance by all PSOs," said the affidavit.

Also Read: WhatsApp Pay, a result of Reliance Jio and Facebook owned WhatsApp partnership

The RBI acknowledged that the NPCI had communicated to it the System Audit Report and the Post Change Review Report sent to it by WhatsApp, which touched upon the details concerning the storage of payment system data. The RBI said that accordingly, by letter dated November 1, 2019, the NPCI was advised to ensure that the payment data elements, as referred to therein, are not stored by WhatsApp outside India beyond permitted timelines.

RBI denies whatsapp UPI,Storage of Payment System Data
As per RBI, UPI permission not given to WhatsApp





Subsequently, the NPCI had, through its letter dated January 7, said that they had received a letter from WhatsApp agreeing to complete all the pending issues by May 31, and requesting permission to go live.

The NPCI had then requested RBI's approval to grant the final 'go-live' to WhatsApp on UPI, subject "to (a) the third-party audit report confirming closure of the committed 2 items, and (b) acceptable VA/config reports from third party auditor".

WhatsApp had already informed the top court that it would not roll out its payment service without full compliance with the norms.

The RBI's response came on an application filed by the Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change, through advocate Virag Gupta, seeking a complete stoppage of the trials being conducted by WhatsApp Pay, alleging that the company has continued beta testing on its payments system on 1 million users in violation of data localization norms in India.

Also Read: 3 individuals charged for Twitter hacks using Bitcoin Scam

(Inputs from IANS)

Last Updated : Feb 16, 2021, 7:31 PM IST
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