WhatsApp to Delhi HC Will stop functioning if made to break encryption

Whatsapp: Instant messaging platform WhatsApp has said a big thing in Delhi High Court. According to a news agency report, WhatsApp has told the High Court that if it is forced to remove encryption, it will stop its operations i.e. will leave India. The whole matter is related to new IT rules. WhatsApp and Facebook have filed a petition in the Delhi High Court against these rules. Meta-owned WhatsApp says that removing encryption could threaten the privacy of users.

According to the report, the case was being heard by the bench of Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora. WhatsApp argued in the court that the new IT Rules 2021 weaken the privacy of users and is also against the fundamental rights of the people.

WhatsApp also argued that there is never any rule in the world which forces removal of encryption. WhatsApp said that the new rule was introduced without its consultation.

In fact, under the new IT rules, social media platforms and messaging platforms can be asked to trace users’ chats and identify the first sender of a message. If WhatsApp has to do this, it will have to trace all the messages of all people and save them with itself, which is contrary to the company’s policy.

WhatsApp’s messaging system works on end-to-end encryption. Under this, any message remains limited between its sender and receiver. WhatsApp itself also does not peep into the messages, that is, WhatsApp does not keep an eye on what messages someone is writing to someone and all the messages are safe with end-to-end encryption. No one else can read them.

However, the central government has already argued in the court that WhatsApp and Facebook cannot legally claim to protect the privacy of users, because they monetize people’s information for their business and commercial benefits.