What is WhatsApp ruling by the Delhi High Court means in 5 easy steps

On 25 August, WhatsApp updated its content policy for the very first time after being purchased by Facebook. The appeal was filed against Facebook and WhatsApp by petitioners Karmanya Singh, Shreya Sethi, and Sareen over privacy concerns after the policy change. Yesterday, the Delhi High Court permitted WhatsApp to share data with Facebook but imposed restrictions on the data sharing. Here we have discussed what is ruling means for users in 5 easy steps.

1. WhatsApp is to swab all data collected before 25 September: WhatsApp is permitted to share data with Facebook, but cannot share any data collected before 25 September. This is to ensure that users who signed up for the service are completely based on the old privacy policy, continue to be affected by the old privacy policy. Users can also delete their accounts and opt out for the service, after which WhatsApp is not allowed to share any data.

2. WhatsApp can only share data collected after September 25: Even for users who do not opt for this service, also do not delete their accounts, WhatsApp can only share data collected after 25 September with Facebook. This means that even who accept the new terms and conditions, the data which is to be collected over the previous years will not be shared with Facebook or any other co.

3. WhatsApp can retain and uses some kind of messages: The ruling allows WhatsApp to use the text messages shared over the platform to assist users in providing the service, which is a sweeping statement. The text messages will not be shared publicly. Hence, most messages are not stored on WhatsApp servers, some kinds of messages are kept on the servers. These include high volumes multimedia shares, such as images or videos.

4. WhatsApp can use more than the messages: Apart from the messages, there is a lot of data that WhatsApp can use to provide more focused advertising. These include the groups that you belong to contacts, your profile picture, and links shared over the platform. Your last seen status, online status, and who calls and chats with you can also be shared with and used by Facebook users. The messages provided may not be the most valuable source of data for Facebook users, and it will have to evaluate that whether they want Facebook and WhatsApp to use their data in such a manner.

5. TRAI has been asked to regulate frequent messaging clients: The High Court judgment has asked the government to look into the matter of establishing a statutory regulatory framework for instant messaging clients. The process will take a long time, if TRAI willed side to pick up the matter. The process means that consultation paper will be made available seeking feedback on introducing the guidelines. A previous consultation paper may cover regulations for frequently messaging clients.