Supreme Court Rejects Call to Ban WhatsApp in India

The Supreme Court dismissed a PIL demanding a ban on WhatsApp unless it complies with Indian regulations. The plea alleged WhatsApp violated citizens' rights and national security. Filed by software engineer Omanakuttan KG, the court showed no inclination to entertain the request.

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) that sought directives for banning WhatsApp in India should it fail to adhere to government regulations.

A bench comprising Justices M M Sundresh and Aravind Kumar expressed no interest in hearing the matter filed by Omanakuttan KG, a software engineer from Kerala.

The petition argued that WhatsApp's non-compliance with the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, constituted a breach of citizens' rights and a threat to national security.

(With inputs from agencies.)