SC dismisses PIL to ban WhatsApp for failure to comply with govt regulations

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a PIL seeking directions for the Centre to ban the operation and use of WhatsApp if the messaging platform does not comply with orders from Indian authorities.

A bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Aravind Kumar said it was not inclined to entertain the petition filed by Omanakuttan KG, a software engineer from Kerala.

In his petition, Omanakuttan contended that WhatsApp had refused to comply with the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

The PIL argued that WhatsApp was violating the fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution, potentially threatening national security and interests.

“If the app is unwilling to change its technology and does not cooperate with the government, it should not be allowed to operate in the country. The Centre has already banned many websites and mobile apps for actions against the national interest,” the petition stated.