WhatsApp’s refusal to comply with new rules a clear act of defiance: Centre

The Centre on Wednesday said that WhatsApp’s “last minute challenge” to the new social media and intermediary guidelines, all clauses of which came into effect on May 25, is a “clear act of defiance” and an “unfortunate attempt to keep the guidelines from coming into effect”.

“WhatsApp’s challenge, at the very last moment, and despite having sufficient time and opportunity available during the consultation process and after the rules were enacted, to the Intermediary Guidelines is an unfortunate attempt to prevent the same from coming into effect,” the ministry said in a statement.

“Any operations being run in India are subject to the law of the land.