SC issues notice to Facebook, WhatsApp over the privacy policy

New Delhi, February 15: Seeking the response over their new Privacy Policy, the Supreme court bench headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde, issues the notice to the messaging app Whatsapp and its parent company Facebook.

 

 

While hearing the plea filed by Karmanya Singh Sareen, the bench of judges said people's privacy must be protected because of the allegation that users' data was being shared with other companies. 

 

They lashed out at the company saying, people value their privacy more than the value of the company which might be in trillions. "You may be a $2-3 trillion company but people's privacy is more valuable for them and it is our duty to protect their privacy," the apex court told Facebook and WhatsApp.

 

 

 

The SC bench also added People have grave apprehensions that they will lose their privacy and it is our duty to protest them. Apart from Whatsapp and Facebook, the apex court has also issued a notice to the central government in connection with the matter.

 

Karmanya Singh Sareen and Shreya Sethi have filed a plea that sought directions to be issued to WhatsApp not to lower privacy standards for Indian users and to apply the same privacy policy as is applied in the European Union.

 

January this year WhatsApp came up with a new privacy policy that undermines the privacy of Indian users compared to the European counterparts. As per the news privacy of WhatsApp shares user information globally. However, after facing criticism over the privacy policy, WhatsApp took to micro-blogging site Twitter clarifying that "no one will have their account suspended or deleted on February 8 and we will be moving back our business plans until after May."