WhatsApp threatens to exit India over privacy concerns, tells Delhi High Court: "People Use WhatsApp for Privacy"

WhatsApp has stated to the Delhi High Court that it would cease operations in India if it were compelled to compromise message encryption, a feature safeguarding user privacy by ensuring only the sender and recipient can access message content.

 The messaging platform, owned by Meta, is challenging the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021, which mandates the tracing of chats and identification of message originators.

 With over 400 million users in India, WhatsApp's popularity is largely attributed to its privacy features, which the company argues are protected under constitutional rights.

WhatsApp's lawyer emphasized that any regulations undermining message encryption and user privacy would violate fundamental rights enshrined in Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Indian Constitution.

The company contends that such requirements are unprecedented globally, citing the absence of similar rules even in countries like Brazil. Compliance with decryption requests would entail storing vast quantities of messages for extended periods, posing logistical and privacy concerns for WhatsApp and its users alike.