WhatsApp's new data policy is a matter of concern for the government as it treats Indian users differently from its European ones, the Centre told the Delhi High Court on Monday.
Indian users were being "unilaterally" subjected to the change in the privacy policy by messaging app WhatsApp, the centre noted.
The submissions were made before Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva by Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma during a hearing of a petition by a lawyer against the new privacy policy of the social networking platform owned by Facebook.
During the hearing, Sharma told the court that by not giving Indian users the option to opt-out of sharing their data with other companies of Facebook, WhatsApp prima facie appears to be treating users with an "all or nothing approach".
Advertisement
"This leverages the social significance of WhatsApp to force users into a bargain which may infringe on their interests in information privacy and information security," he told the court.
Sharma said the government was already looking into the issue and has sent a communication to WhatsApp seeking certain information.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for WhatsApp, told the court that the communication has been received and will be responded to.
The court, thereafter, listed the matter for hearing on March 1.
With PTI inputs
