New Delhi: Social media service WhatsApp on Wednesday outlined steps the company was taking to curb abuse of the platform, saying it was "horrified" by the "terrible acts of violence", amid concerns that messages shared by users had purportedly triggered a recent chain of lynchings.

"WhatsApp cares deeply about people's safety, which is why we designed our app with security in mind...," it said.

The company also said it follows a two-pronged approach that includes giving people controls and information they need to stay safe, apart from working proactively to prevent misuse.

The government had on Tuesday issued a stern warning to the social media platform, asking it to take immediate measures to prevent the spread of "irresponsible and explosive messages".

It categorically told the popular messaging platform that it could not evade accountability.

IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday iterated this. "WhatsApp needs to recognise that India offers a huge market for them and they are making good money out of Indian operations. So they must focus on the security aspect in India in particular, and if it requires creation of more avenues of technology for safety, they must do it soon," the minister said.

"If in any state, any part, on a particular subject, if there is a circulation of large volumes of messages on WhatsApp, it is not rocket science that can't be discovered by application of technology," he added.

In its response to the IT ministry's missive, WhatsApp said false news and misinformation were issues that needed to be dealt with collectively, by the government, civil society and technology companies working together.

In the detailed response sent to the ministry, a copy of which has been seen by PTI, WhatsApp listed the measures being undertaken by the platform. These include product controls, digital literacy, fact checking advocacy and proactive actions to tackle abuse.

"We also respond to valid law enforcement requests to help them investigate crimes. And soon, we will start an engagement programme with law enforcement officials around India so they are familiar with our approach and how we can be helpful," it said.

The government's warning to WhatsApp had come in the wake of incidents involving lynchings of innocent people following "fake and motivated" messages purportedly circulated on the app. PTI