India`s Apex Court tells WhatsApp to ensure privacy |
The Supreme Court of India on 15th February 2021 told social media firm Facebook and its messaging app, WhatsApp, that it will have to intervene to protect Indian citizen`s privacy. The case and decision comes in the wake of WhatsApp issuing new policy in this regard. Issuing a notice to the government along with the two platforms, the court is now set to examine the popular service`s fresh course on this front. In January, WhatsApp renewed its terms of service and privacy policy, which were to come into effect on February 8. Users must agree to its new data-sharing norms, which includes business conversations, with Facebook. Since this is not optional, users have been left confused and concerned over privacy. The Apex court said, "You (Facebook and WhatsApp) maybe two or three trillion-dollar company. But people value their privacy. It is our duty and we have to protect people`s privacy,". Chief Justice of India S A Bobde said, "People have great apprehension over the loss of privacy. People think that if somebody messages to someone then... the whole thing is disclosed to Facebook.". The court was hearing a plea by one Karmanya Singh Sareen and others seeking a stay on WhatsApp`s new privacy policy. Their lawyer, Shyam Diwan, told the court that WhatsApp was differentiating between European countries and India in its policy. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court whether there was a law or not, privacy must be protected as it was a fundamental right. He also said the court`s apprehension over data was shared by the nation.
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