Quit using Whatsapp says Facebook

New Delhi: Whatsapp owned by Facebook has made it clear to its Indian users of both of its platforms to quit using them if they have privacy concerns about their chats and calls as told in Supreme Court.

On petition filed by the students Karmanya Singh Sareen and Shreya Sethi on the new privacy policy brought in by the companies and its relation to the right to privacy of users, the owner of the social platform gave them the liberty to quit if they don’t agree to its terms.

Counsel for Whatsapp, Kapil Sharma told the Supreme Court’s five-Judge-bench that the security and privacy of the messages and chats over the platform is end-to-end encrypted, and since the policy was a contract between the user and the company in the private domain, it could not be tested constitutionally by the court.

K K Venugopal, the counsel for Facebook, on the other hand, was more direct as he told the court,”Those who find the new privacy policy irksome or violative of their fundamental rights, can quit. We’ve given full freedom to users to withdraw from Facebook and WhatsApp.”

However, the bench replied both the Counsel’s by saying that such an action forces a citizen to make a negative choice.

Counsel Harish Salve appearing for the petitioners said that Whatsapp is forcing its users to give their consent for the new policy which could give them the authority to look into its users data’s.

He also added,”They claim that this is being done to improve services to be given in future to users. Whether the snooping is done electronically or manually, the right to privacy of users gets breached. The government is duty bound to protect the fundamental right of every citizen. If it is failing, then the SC can surely issue appropriate directions.”

The next hearing is scheduled on May 15.