Delhi HC seeks Centre's response on PIL challenging new WhatsApp privacy policy

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police on Wednesday issued a notice to Centre and the Facebook-owned messaging platform WhatsApp in connection with a PIL filed against the firm over its controversial privacy policy.

The High court had sought a reply from both the Centre and WhatsApp in this regard. The PIL filed by a lawyer, challenging the new privacy policy of WhatsApp, states that it is “illegal and violates the right of privacy of individuals.”

Alleging that WhatsApp has put a “Damocles sword on its users” to accept its new privacy policy, the plea said that the updated policy virtually scrutinises the personal profile of a user by 360 degree.

In his plea, advocate Chaitanya Rohilla, alleged that the new norms, which are mandatory for the users to accept by February 8, also jeopardises the national security of the country by sharing, transmitting and storing the users' data in some other country. The petitioner alleged that WhatsApp is integrating people into Facebook so that Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram (another subsidiary of Facebook) all become part of one package.

During a previous hearing in the case, Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva had remarked that WhatsApp is a private application and a person can opt out of it and use some other app if there were concerns about privacy and sharing of information.

Lawyer Mukul Rohatgi, representing WhatsApp, refuted the allegations of sharing of data and breach of privacy, and informed the high court that the new privacy policy has itself been deferred till April.