WhatsApp makes big disclosure today, says privacy policy on hold in India; users set to benefit

WhatsApp users in India are set to benefit after the messenger app made a big statement today in court.

WhatsApp will no longer insist that its users accept its controversial privacy policy. (Pixabay)

As of today, WhatsApp users can rest a little easy - for a while. WhatsApp has been facing a lot of criticism from users about its stated intentions here regarding its privacy policy and its desire to make users accept it. On their part, users have pushed back strongly and have been quick to point out that they would not accept anything that is being forced on them by WhatsApp. With authorities in India stepping into the situation, WhatsApp has taken a step back and has issued an official statement in court that will benefit users.

Today, Delhi High Court was told by WhatsApp that till the data protection bill is not implemented by the Centre, it would not force its users to accept its new privacy policy. It added that this policy has been actually put on hold, PTI reported.

What WhatsApp will not stop

However, WhatsApp will not stop doing something that it has continued ever since the row first broke. Harish Salve said that Whatsapp would continue to display the update to its users.

How WhatsApp users benefit

What will please WhatsApp users, even more, is that the messenger app stated before the bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh that it would not limit the functionality for users who are not opting for the new privacy policy.

On behalf of WhatsApp, Senior Advocate Harish Salve stated before the court, "We voluntarily agreed to put it (the policy) on hold... we will not compel people to accept."

WhatsApp case in India

Facebook-owned WhatsApp has filed an appeal against a single-judge order refusing to stop the competition regulator CCI's order directing a probe into WhatsApp's new privacy policy.

WhatsApp, being one of the most popular messenger apps in India, has millions of users, and therefore, whatever policy it looks to implement will have a massive fallout. Therefore, objections were quick to come when WhatsApp revealed its intentions to make users accept its privacy policy. Authorities too took notice thereafter.