WhatsApp officially confirmed that it will shut operations in India if it is forced to break end-to-end (E2E) encryption. The Meta-owned messaging app has challenged Section 4 (2) of the Information Technology (IT) Rules, 2021, in the Delhi High Court.
The rule requires social media intermediaries —especially instant messaging platforms like WhatsApp— to reveal the first originator of certain messages, which would require the end of E2E encryption.
WhatsApp Threatens to Shut Operations in India
According to the latest report from WhatsApp, E2E encryption is what makes people use the platform in the first place. The company argues that Section 4 (2) of the Information Technology (IT) Rules, 2021, violates user privacy laws, which are Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution of India.
In response to WhatsApp and Meta’s appeal, the centre’s counsel, Kirtiman Singh, contended that the main idea behind the law is to find the originator of fake news or hate speech.
He further emphasised that there has to be a way to trace the messages back to their source. Moreover, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology states that WhatsApp is violating the fundamental rights of Indian users by not offering dispute resolution rights.
