Right to privacy is not absolute, says govt on WhatsApp’s lawsuit

The government, in response to WhatsApp moving the Delhi High Court against new rules that would require it to break end-to-end encryption, said that it respects the Right to Privacy and has no intention to violate it. At the same time, it said compliance requirement is necessary for public interest and identifying the first originator of messages leading to crimes.

Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union minister for Electronics, IT and law, in a statement stressed that according to all established judicial dictum, no fundamental right, including the right to privacy, is absolute and it is subject to reasonable restrictions.

“It is very important to note that such an order to trace the first originator, under Rule 4(2) of the said guidelines,