‘Comply with Indian laws or leave the country,’ SC warns WhatsApp, Meta over user data sharing

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has told social media giant WhatsApp and its parent company Meta that they may leave the country if they cannot comply with laws framed under the Indian Constitution. The bench, headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, emphasised that the rights of Indian citizens cannot be violated.

The Supreme Court issued strong criticism in a petition concerning the privacy policies of Meta, WhatsApp and similar platforms. The case also relates to WhatsApp’s 2021 privacy law, under which the Competition Commission of India had imposed a fine of ₹213.14 crore.

The criticism came while hearing the plea filed by Meta and WhatsApp challenging the fine.

The fine was imposed on Meta for sharing WhatsApp users’ private data. The bench, headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, stated that data sharing will not be allowed under any circumstances and underscored that the privacy of the country’s citizens cannot be compromised. The Supreme Court also stated that the verdict in the case will be delivered on February 10.