WhatsApp is making users accept privacy policy through ‘trick consent’: Centre to Delhi HC

The Centre on Thursday claimed before the Delhi High Court that messaging platform WhatsApp was acquiring “trick consent” from users for its new privacy policy, reported The Indian Express.

“It is submitted that millions of WhatsApp existing users, those who have not accepted the updated 2021 privacy policy, are being bombarded with notifications on an everyday basis,” the government said in reply to a plea challenging the platform’s privacy policy.

The Centre told the High Court that WhatsApp has been “indulging in anti-users practices by obtaining ‘trick consent’ from users for its updated privacy policy”.

“WhatsApp has unleashed its digital prowess to existing users and would force them to accept updated 2021 privacy policy, to transfer existing user base committed the updated privacy policy before Personal Data Protection (PDP) Bill becomes law,” the government said in its affidavit, according to ANI.

The Centre also argued that WhatsApp should stop sending the notifications to a user and claimed that the messaging platform’s actions were against “the very grain of prima facie opinion of the Competition Commission of India’s order” passed on March 24.

On May 25, the messaging platform said that it will not limit its functions for users who do not accept the new privacy policy.

On May 17, WhatsApp had said that it was trying to get users on…

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