New Delhi, Nov 14 – The Supreme Court rejected a public interest litigation (PIL) on Thursday that raised privacy and security concerns related to communications through popular messaging services WhatsApp and Telegram. The petition, filed by K.G. Omanakuttan, a self-identified "seasoned software engineer, " highlighted a security vulnerability in the Android versions of these apps, which allegedly allows unauthorized media file manipulation.
The PIL claimed this vulnerability could let anyone replace media files, such as images, within chats, raising concerns about privacy, freedom of expression, reputation, and fair investigation rights. Omanakuttan urged the court to direct WhatsApp and Telegram to implement stronger measures to prevent media file manipulation on Android devices.
The bench, comprising Justices M.M. Sundresh and Aravind Kumar, dismissed the PIL, declining to address the matter further. This is the second such plea by Omanakuttan; in 2021, the Kerala High Court dismissed a similar request seeking protections against media manipulation in WhatsApp chats.
The case also comes amid broader debates over privacy, as the Indian government introduced the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. WhatsApp has challenged these rules, arguing that they infringe on user privacy by requiring social media platforms to trace the origin of messages, which it contends is unconstitutional and undermines user security.
The Supreme Court's decision underscores the judiciary's reluctance to intervene in platform-specific security protocols, keeping the focus on legislative and policy measures to safeguard digital communication privacy.