Plea in SC: Stay WhatsApp privacy policy that affects 400 million Indians

New Delhi: A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking an interim stay on the operation of new privacy policy of WhatsApp, the applicaton with more than 400 million users in the country.

The intervention application has been filed by Internet Freedom Foundation in the 2017 matter of Karmanya Singh Sareen and others, which was against the 2016 privacy policy of the company. This matter is being heard by the apex court.

The petitioner requested the top court to exercise its powers to protect the fundamental right to privacy of over 400 million Indians by staying the implementation of WhatsApp policy. The plea contended that it is pertinent to note that WhatsApp has simultaneously issued a separate (and more privacy-respecting) 2021 policy for countries in the European region.