Here ye! Here ye! May the court come to order. The case that follows constitutes WhatsApp against the government of India following their “breach” of national security.

WhatsApp Vs India

A copy of the petition, seen by Reuters, says Whatsapp is jeopardizing national security. They are doing this by reportedly sharing, transmitting and storing user data in another country. This means that the information is governed by foreign laws.

Here’s what the petition says:

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“WhatsApp is making a mockery out of our fundamental right to privacy,” it says.
WhatsApp has given users a Feb. 8 deadline to agree to the new terms.

“This type of arbitrary behaviour and browbeating cannot be accepted in a democracy and is completely ‘ultra vires’ (beyond its powers) and against the fundamental rights as enshrined in the Constitution of India,” the petition added.

The change has also met with a challenge in Turkey with the country’s Competition Board this week. They are launching an investigation into the messaging service and its parent.

Migration

In India, many users have began installing rival apps like Signal and Telegram. This is pushing WhatsApp to begin a costly advertising campaign to calm customers.

Take for example Signal. Last week they had 10 million downloads. This week, they have over 50 million downloads!

“It virtually gives a 360-degree profile into a person’s online activity,” lawyer Chaitanya Rohilla said of Whatsapp’s new policy in the petition to the Delhi High Court.