SC notice to govt on WhatsApp privacy
New Delhi: Holding that people’s privacy is more important than money , the Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre, WhatsApp and its parent company Facebook on a plea challenging its new privacy policy about which reservations have been voiced in certain sections.
Holding that people’s privacy is more important than money, the Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre, WhatsApp and its parent company Facebook on a plea challenging its new privacy policy about which reservations have been voiced in certain sections.
“You may be a $2-3 trillion company, but people’s privacy is more valuable and it is our duty to protect their privacy,” said a bench headed by Chief Justice Sharad A Bobde, noting that the people have grave concerns about privacy.
The Court was hearing a plea seeking to restrain WhatsApp from implementing its new privacy policy in India. The application has been moved by two college students Karmanya Singh Sareen and Shreya Sethi in a matter pending before a Constitution bench wherein 2016 policy is under challenge.
The petition sought a direction to the web service platforms to apply the same privacy policy which is made applicable to the users in the European Union region.
Senior lawyer Shyam Divan, appearing for the petitioner, told the apex court that WhatsApp has in January “come up with a new privacy policy”.
“One set of privacy standards apply to Europe and a different set of standards apply to Indians. This happens when the Personal Data Protection Bill is pending,” Divan said while asserting “there is a huge differentiation between Europeans and Indians”.
Senior counsel Kapil Sibal, who appeared for WhatsApp , denied that the users’ data would be compromised by the new policy.
“This 2021 policy is applicable everywhere apart from Europe as it has a law. If India has a law, we will follow the same,” he said.
At this the CJI asked him to put that on oath.
WhatsApp had earlier in January renewed its terms of service and privacy policy.