[WhatsApp Privacy Policy] If you feel WhatsApp will compromise data, delete it: Delhi High Court

If you feel WhatsApp will compromise data, delete it, the Delhi High Court remarked on Monday stating that it did not understand the grievance raised with respect to the messaging platform's new privacy policy (Chaitanya Rohilla v. UOI & Ors).."It is a private app. Don't join it. What is your grievance? .. I can't understand your concern. If you feel WhatsApp will compromise data, delete WhatsApp," a single-judge Bench of Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva said. .While the counsel for the petitioner, advocate Manohar Lal asserted that "everything" that a user was doing was being analysed by the Facebook-owned social app, the Court stated that several other platforms also did the same and not just Whatsapp alone. ."Not just WhatsApp but all platforms do that..Do you know Google Maps also shares data?.. I doubt if you've read the terms and conditions (of any of the apps that you use)," the Court asked the counsel for the petitioner. .During the brief hearing, Senior Counsel appearing for WhatsApp and Facebook submitted that the private WhatsApp chats were completely encrypted. ."Private chats are completely encrypted. The change (in privacy policy) is for business WhatsApp.. All social chats between friends, relatives whatever is completely encrypted," Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi representing Facebook, said. He argued that the courts were not the correct forum for the formulation of any laws. ."Users don't have to message with businesses if they don't want to," Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal who was appearing for Whatsapp added. .Senior Advocate Arvind Datar further said that the petition itself was not maintainable. .While simply adjourning the matter till January 25, the Court also observed that the new policy itself had been deferred as of now. .The Court, therefore, did not issue notice in the petition yet. .The petition, preferred by advocate Chaitanya Rohilla, has claimed that the new privacy policy of Whatsapp absolutely violates the Right to Privacy guaranteed under Part III of the Constitution of India.The new policy "virtually gives a 360-degree profile into a person's online activity" without any "government oversight", the petitioner has asserted.It is the petitioner's concern that the updated privacy policy "takes away the choice" of a user to not share their data with other Facebook-owned apps and third-party apps.It is added that there is no clarity on extent to which data will be shared and what will be done with the sensitive data of users..Last week, the matter was listed before Justice Prathiba Singh who recused from hearing the case..A similar petition has also been filed before the Supreme Court.