WhatsApp, the Facebook company, has filed a petition in the Delhi High court alleging that other Indian mobile applications are collecting even more data than it does. With the petition, the social media giant has hit back hard on the rising criticism over its new privacy policies which are already rejected in Germany.
Blaming Other Apps To Cover Its Faults
According to a report by Inc42, WhatsApp’s affidavit cites the privacy policies of multiple companies, including Zoom and TrueCaller, as well as Indian start-ups BigBasket, Zomato, and Ola. The affidavit states that these apps’ privacy policies allow them to collect just as much data as WhatsApp’s new policy, and in some cases, even more data than WhatsApp
A review of the privacy policies of many internet-based applications and websites confirms that such policies include provisions describing the information they may collect that are similar to and in many instances much broader than those in the 2021 Update.
WhatsApp’s affidavit
WhatsApp also claimed that Microsoft, Google and Zoom collect the same or more user data than it does. Republic TV’s digital arm is also accused of collecting more data than WhatsApp. The social media company also pleaded with the Delhi High Court that not allowing to update its new privacy policy will impact its operations in India.
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A Hard Sell
In January 2021, Delhi High Court had ruled that users should get the option of either accepting or denying the new privacy policy of WhatsApp. The decision led to a delay in the rollout of the policy. The new deadline to accept WhatsApp’s privacy policy is on May 15.
It is trying hard to take the consent of its users by showing them how the privacy policy works in their status, along with running several ads in leading newspapers.
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WhatsApp has clarified that it will not delete accounts of users who don’t accept the new policy by May 15, but will start stripping their account of WhatsApp features over the course of a few weeks, until they accept the new privacy policy terms.
