WhatsApp involved in anti-users practices and forcing users to accept new privacy policies - Centre tells Delhi High Court

WhatsApp privacy policy update: In a fresh affidavit, the central government told Delhi High Court that the Facebook-owned instant messaging platform WhatsApp is indulging in anti-users practices by obtaining 'trick consent' from users for its updated privacy policy.

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As per the tweets posted by the news agency ANI, the Central government has submitted before Delhi HC that WhatsApp has unleashed its digital prowess to existing users and would force them to accept the updated 2021 privacy policy, to transfer the existing user base committed to the updated privacy policy before Personal Data Protection (PDP) Bill becomes law. 

"Centre submits that current notifications being pushed by WhatsApp on its users, existing and new ones, is against the very grain of prima facie opinion of the Competition Commission of India's order dated March 24, 2021," the ANI tweeted.

"Centre urges Delhi High Court to issue interim direction to WhatsApp to desist from any action of 'push notifications' onto users related to updated 2021 privacy policy and to place on the record number of times such notifications are being pushed daily & their conversion rate," the tweet further added.

On the allegations, WhatsApp spokesperson said in a statement: "We reiterate that we have already responded to the Government of India and assured them that the privacy of users remains our highest priority. As a reminder, the recent update does not change the privacy of people’s personal messages. Its purpose is to provide additional information about how people can interact with businesses if they choose to do so."

"We will not limit the functionality of how WhatsApp works in the coming weeks. Instead, we will continue to remind users from time to time about the update as well as when people choose to use relevant optional features, like communicating with a business that is receiving support from Facebook. We hope this approach reinforces the choice that all users have whether or not they want to interact with a business. We will maintain this approach until at least the forthcoming PDP law comes into effect," the spokesperson further added.

Users can read about new privacy policy here: https://faq.whatsapp.com/general/security-and-privacy/what-happens-when-...