After months-long discussions on WhatsApp new privateness coverage, the Centre on Friday urged the Delhi High Court to restrain Facebook-owned WhatsApp from implementing its new privateness coverage and phrases of service that are to take impact from May 15.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology made the assertion in its affidavit filed in response to a petition difficult the brand new privateness coverage of social networking platform WhatsApp.
The Centre, in its affidavit, stated, “It is humbly prayed that in view of the above submissions, the Respondent No. 2 (WhatsApp) may be restrained from implementing its new privacy policy and terms of service dated January 4, 2021, from February 8, 2021, or any subsequent date pending adjudication by this court.”
What is the controversy over WhatsApp’s new privateness coverage?
The new WhatsApp coverage says how consumer knowledge is impacted when there’s interplay with a enterprise on the platform, and supplies extra particulars on integration with Facebook, WhatsApp’s mum or dad firm. Under the brand new coverage, customers can both settle for it or exit the app, however they can’t decide out to share their knowledge with different Facebook-owned or third celebration apps.
While folks raised questions over their knowledge being shared on Facebook and different apps, WhatsApp had made it clear for the reason that announcement of its up to date privateness coverage that the replace is especially meant for companies utilizing its messaging platform. This implies that as soon as the up to date privateness coverage is accepted, the app will be capable of share consumer particulars equivalent to their telephone numbers and transaction knowledge. But nonetheless, WhatsApp acknowledged that the change wouldn’t impression “how people communicate with friends or family” on the platform. The firm additionally specified in a weblog put up that it could proceed to offer end-to-end encryption for personal messages, and it did not hold logs of its customers’ messaging and calling.
