Privacy policy update on hold till data protection bill comes into effect: WhatsApp to Delhi HC

New Delhi: WhatsApp on Friday apprised the Delhi High Court that it has decided to put on hold its contentious privacy policy update until the data protection bill comes into force.

WhatsApp submitted before the bench of Chief justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh that it will implement the new privacy policy if "Parliament allows it" and in the meantime, it would not limit the functionality for users who are not opting for the privacy update.

Senior Advocate Harish Salve, appearing for WhatsApp said, "We voluntarily agreed to put it (the policy) on hold... We will not compel people to accept."

Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Facebook, also called into question the jurisdiction of competition regulator CCI to probe the matter.

Additional Solicitor General Aman Lekhi, appearing for CCI, said that as long as the privacy policy existed, its implications would continue to persist.

The court observed that though the instant messaging app is not implementing the new policy, it continues to exist.

"It is with you and any day it can come," the bench noted.

After the detailed hearing, the Court eventually adjourned the matter till July 30.

The court was hearing the appeals of social media giants Facebook and WhatsApp against the single-judge order refusing to stop the CCI's order directing a probe into WhatsApp's new privacy policy. (UNI)