Two Indian students opposed to the Facebook & WhatsApp’s decision of sharing their users’ data with their entire platform, to which the Delhi High Court, on 23rd September 2016, slammed the popular messaging application, WhatsApp for according its user data with Facebook and directed in favor of their filed PIL. Following to this, WhatsApp on Thursday, 29th Sept, said that they will comply with the Delhi High Court orders against sharing the user data accumulated up to 25th September with its parent company Facebook. They dismiss all the earlier media reports.
Mashable, a global and multi-platform media & entertainment company had stated earlier that WhatsApp had intended to oppose the Delhi High Court order and had planned to go ahead with the information sharing. According to them, Delhi High Court’s order has not impacted its proposed changes for WhatsApp’s terms & privacy condition.
WhatsApp spokesperson Anne Yeh was also quoted as saying in a statement, “This ruling has no impact on the planned policy & terms of service updates.”
WhatsApp representatives said that they will comply with the orders from the Delhi High Court. They actually plan to move forward with privacy policy & terms in accordance with the Delhi High Court’s order. Delhi High Court emphasizing on the importance of the users choice and their consent is remarkably encouraging.
DELHI HIGH COURT ORDER
An administering bench comprising of Chief Justice G. Rohini & Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal said on 23rd September that WhatsApp will not be sharing their users’ data accumulated under its old privacy policy up to 25th September 2016, with Facebook or any such related company. The court also said, “WhatsApp has to totally erase the data of their users who choose to opt out of the WhatsApp services. This has to be done after coming into force of its new privacy policy”.
WhatsApp will also erase the data of those users who do not wish to or did not opt out of the messaging service and agreed to the new terms and conditions. The court also said that all the date till 25th September is to be removed.
The bench also added that they have taken a note of the fact that under the terms & conditions of WhatsApp, users are given the option to delete their WhatsApp account at any point of time. Following to which, info of the users would automatically be deleted from the WhatsApp servers. Delhi High Court also directed the government to examine this issue of the functioning of such instant messaging apps & take the appropriate decision pertaining to whether it is possible to bring them under the statutory regulatory framework.
ABOUT WHATSAPP (NEW) PRIVACY POLICY
It was on 25th August that Facebook-owned WhatsApp, a popular messaging mobile application made an extensive change in its “Privacy Policy” terms and conditions. Under the new norms, WhatsApp announced that it would be sharing its users’ personal data, including their name & phone numbers, with its parent company Facebook. Apart from Facebook, the information would also be shared with all other companies below it. After this, WhatsApp had given its users a time frame of 30 days. This time period expired on the 25th September. Users could opt out of the new privacy policy terms during that period only. This privacy policy would utilize the user data for internal analysis & will, in turn, support the company to improve its services ahead. this would also help in targeting advertisements to users on Facebook.
- For more regarding the privacy policy read here : WhatsApp to start sharing some user information with Facebook
