Whatsapp To Not Apply Its New Privacy Policy At The Moment
- ByStartupStory | July 9, 2021
After quite a many controversies, and making headlines, Whatsapp to not apply its new privacy policy at the moment. WhatsApp also clarified before the bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh that in the meantime, it would not limit the functionality for users who are not opting for the new privacy policy. Appearing for the instant messaging platform, Senior Advocate Harish Salve said, “We voluntarily agreed to put it (the policy) on hold, we will not compel people to accept.” Salve said that WhatsApp would nonetheless continue to display the update to its users. The court is hearing the appeals of Facebook and its firm WhatsApp against the single-judge order refusing to stop the competition regulator CCI’s order directing a probe into WhatsApp’s new privacy policy. The new privacy policy of WhatsApp was supposed to come into effect in early February. However, given the opposition to this new requirement, the messaging app delayed the rollout till May 15 and was further delayed.
WhatsApp has assured the court that the privacy of the users will always remain its highest priority. It said, “Recent updates do not change the privacy of people’s personal messages. Its purpose is to provide additional information about how people can interact with businesses if they choose to do so.” Earlier, the government told the Delhi High Court that WhatsApp was trying to “force” users into accepting the new policy before the Data Protection Bill becomes law. The government had also ordered WhatsApp to withdraw the policy, saying the changes undermined the privacy and data security of users and harmed the rights of Indian citizens. The IT ministry has pointed to WhatsApp that the policy followed by them was the discriminatory treatment of Indian users when compared to those in Europe where one did not have to compulsorily accept the new policy.
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