WhatsApp  case  in Delhi HC first big test of privacy law

NEW DELHI : Facebook Inc.’s WhatsApp messaging unit filed a lawsuit in the Delhi high court to quash new government rules that require social media intermediaries to trace users’ encrypted messages in a test for right to privacy in India.

In its petition, WhatsApp said the rules that came into effect on Wednesday were a “dangerous invasion of privacy” and pose a threat to free speech. The petition claimed that enforcement of Rule 4(2) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) will break WhatsApp’s encryption that ensures messages can only be read by the sender and receiver and the privacy principles underlying it.