WhatsApp on Thursday said it will not limit the functionality of the messaging app for users not agreeing to its new privacy policy, but will continue to send reminders about the update.
WhatsApp said its recent policy update does not change the privacy of people’s personal messages, and it has already written to the government seeking to assure them that the privacy of users remains its highest priority.
On Thursday, the Centre told the Delhi high court that the messaging platform was trying to “force” its users to consent to the new privacy policy before the Personal Data Protection (PDP) Bill
becomes the law by bombarding them with notifications daily.
“We reiterate that we have already responded to the Government of India and assured them that the privacy of users remains our highest priority,” a WhatsApp spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
A raging debate had ensued earlier this year after WhatsApp said it would update its terms of service and privacy policy around how it processes user data and partners with Facebook to offer integrations across the social media giant’s products.
The Centre’s claim has been made in an additional affidavit filed in response to several pleas challenging the new privacy policy of WhatsApp.
WhatsApp has 53 crore users in India, according to government data.
