The Delhi High Court has officially issued a verdict in the case of two students battling for privacy in the face of WhatsApp’s policy about-turn. The application will have to get rid of all user data for people who are quitting the service before September 25.
To recap, WhatsApp had announced a significantly altered privacy guideline last month which laid the path for it to share consumer data such as their number with parent company Facebook after September 25. Two Indian students promptly filed a PIL against the app’s revamped policy alleging that it violated user rights.
The ruling represents a partial victory for the two petitioners. While the High Court is not stopping WhatsApp from going ahead with its plans to get chummy with Facebook, the authority has told the former to delete all user data for people who choose to opt out of the application up until September 25.
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According to PTI, the High Court is also asking WhatsApp to only start sharing information with its parent corporation after September 25. Furthermore, the authority is directing the government and TRAI to consider whether it’s feasible to bring internet message applications like the tool under a regulatory framework.
The latter statement may bring about a sense of deja-vu since it harkens back to the ongoing debate regarding net neutrality. Last year saw a great many debates surrounding the issue of whether to regulate VoIP apps like WhatsApp and Viber. While most telecom operators are for supervision, a number of activists are against it.