Despite issuing a series of explanations, the new privacy policy of WhatsApp has left the messaging app in fix yet again. In a recent development which left WhatsApp and the parent company Facebook in further troubles, the Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to both the companies seeking response on a plea challenging the latest privacy policy.
The SC bench of SA Bobde, AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, added that it will have to intervene to protect the privacy of people if the new WhatsApp privacy policy is introduced. “You (Facebook and WhatsApp) may be two or three trillion (dollar) company. But people value their privacy. It is our duty and we have to protect people’s privacy,” the Supreme Court said.
In its notice, the SC also stated that Indian citizens have great apprehension about loss of their privacy and they think that their data and chats being shared with others. WhatsApp and Facebook, on the other hand, through their counsel Kapil Sibal and Arvind Datar have refuted the Centre’s allegation of users’ data sharing.
However, CJI Bobde said that Facebook and WhatsApp should clarify their policy regarding data sharing. The central government, WhatsApp and Facebook have four weeks to reply in the matter.
