Popular messaging platform WhatsApp told the Delhi High Court that it would shut down in India if the government forces it to breach message encryption.
WhatsApp and its parent organisation Meta have challenged the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021, which asked them to trace the message originators on the platform.
WhatsApp told the court that the government’s law breaches encryption and violates the privacy protection laws of the constitution of India.
It also added that removing user encryption will violate the users’ fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Indian constitution.
Advocate Tejas Karia, on behalf of WhatsApp, said that if the government mandates the breaking of message encryption, the platform would leave India. He said that people use WhatsApp because of its safety and privacy features. India is the largest market for WhatsApp as it has more than 400 million users in the country.
On the other side, advocate Krithiman Singh, who argued for the government, defended the government’s rule. He asserted that this law is needed in the country due to the current environment.
After hearing both arguments, the Delhi High Court postponed the next hearing to August 14.
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