Meta opposes CCI probe in Delhi High Court, says Facebook can’t be investigated because of WhatsApp

New Delhi, July 22: Opposing the Competition Commission of India’s (CCI) probe into WhatsApp’s latest privacy policy, its parent company Meta (formerly Facebook) told the Delhi High Court on Friday that the state body cannot investigate it just because owns the instant messaging platform.

A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad heard the appeal filed by Meta and Whatsapp challenging a single judge’s order that refused to stay the CCI’s order in April last year. WhatsApp update: The Meta-owned messaging app may soon let you edit messages after they’ve been sent.

During the hearing, senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi, on behalf of Meta, pointed out that the two platforms are different entities even though Facebook acquired WhatsApp in 2014. “The ownership is common, but the paths are different, the policies are different. as far as Facebook is concerned, the first notification to Whatsapp to make an inquiry is the actual notification,” he claimed.

Arguing that there was no material against Facebook in the matter, Rohatgi said it was “suo moto jurisdiction” and there was no material to initiate an investigation. Further arguments on the matter will be heard on July 25.

In the previous hearing, senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing on behalf of Facebook and WhatsApp, said the new privacy policy gives users freedom not to share their data and has no element of coercion.

In June 2021, the Delhi High Court refused to stay a notice issued by the CCI asking WhatsApp to provide certain information in connection with the investigation ordered in March into the instant messaging app’s newly updated privacy policy.

On October 23, 2021, the Center told the Delhi High Court that WhatsApp had already violated the fundamental rights of users in the country by denying dispute resolution rights while opposing a plea filed by WhatsApp and Facebook against the new IT rules.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on 22 Jul 2022, 22:10 IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).