The Supreme Court of India on Thursday, November 14, dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that raised concerns over the privacy, security, and integrity of the popular messaging platform WhatsApp. The petition, filed by Kerala-based software engineer Omanakuttan KG, had urged the court to direct the central government to ban WhatsApp’s operations in India, alleging that the platform failed to comply with the new Information Technology (IT) Rules.
A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and Aravind Kumar declined to hear the plea, effectively ruling that there was no substantial basis to proceed with the petitioner’s claims. According to a PTI report, the court found no compelling reason to entertain the PIL at this stage.
In his plea, Omanakuttan claimed that a vulnerability within the Android version of WhatsApp allows unauthorized modification of media files, which could threaten user privacy and data security. He argued that this security flaw not only violates citizens’ fundamental rights under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution—which guarantees the right to life and personal liberty—but also presents a potential threat to national security. Omanakuttan’s PIL alleged that WhatsApp’s practices could compromise sensitive information and ultimately infringe on users’ privacy rights.
WhatsApp has previously come under scrutiny from Indian authorities concerning compliance with IT regulations designed to enhance transparency, accountability, and user safety on digital platforms. The petition further alleged that WhatsApp’s non-conformance to these regulations undermines the platform’s accountability to Indian users.
This dismissal by the Supreme Court highlights the ongoing debate surrounding data privacy, national security, and platform accountability in India’s digital ecosystem. The issue of data privacy and compliance with national regulations is likely to remain a significant topic as digital platforms continue to evolve and expand their reach across the country.