WhatsApp to stop working in India? Here’s what Meta-owned messaging app told Delhi HC about end-to-end encryption
The popular Meta-owned messaging platform, WhatsApp told the Delhi High Court that it will “exit India” if it is forced to break the encryption of messages.
Advocate Tejas Karia, appearing for the messaging platform told the court that people use WhatsApp for privacy and all messages are end-to-end encrypted. “As a platform, we are saying, if we are told to break encryption, then WhatsApp goes,” the counsel said.
WhatsApp argued that the requirement violated the privacy of the users and the rule was introduced without any consultations.
This came after the High Court listed for hearing on August 14 petitions by WhatsApp LLC and its parent company Facebook Inc, now Meta, challenging the 2021 Information Technology (IT) rules for social media intermediaries requiring the messaging app to trace chats and make provisions to identify the first originator of information.
The Centre had earlier told the court that Facebook and WhatsApp monetize users’ information for business and commercial purposes and are not entitled to claim they protect privacy.
The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 were announced by the government on February 25, 2021, and required large social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp to comply with the latest norms.
In response to the statements, Advocate Kirtiman Singh, who was appearing for the Central government, claimed that it is important to trace message originators, especially in current circumstances. The stakes are high at both ends considering that India is the biggest market for WhatsApp with over 500 million users. The app is also used by multiple govt bodies to disseminate important information instantly to the citizen’s hands. He further noted that the rule exceeds the Information Technology Act, which does not mandate breaking encryption.
The court adjourned the case to August 14, and it will be heard along with other cases challenging various provisions of the IT Rules 2021.
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Happy if it EXITS India. Whom they are threatening ? Whatsapp will die without Oxygen from India. It is foolish to think they are holy…. all Whatsapp messages are screened & filtered & datamined by CIA. Tongs of data
1) Mobile numbers
2) Voice calls
3) Conversations – typed & voice
4) Pictures
5) Videos
6) Financial & other data sent in typed messages
7) Opinion influencers
8) Advertisement revenue
For all these data is sold to ROBOT makers to be used as test data & improve the ROBOTs behavior.