The Delhi High Court on Friday, 30 July, granted WhatsApp and Facebook time till 27 August to file their responses to the notice issued by Competition Commission of India (CCI) over the the messaging app's privacy policy, reported news agency ANI.
The court was on Friday hearing the pleas filed by WhatsApp and Facebook against the inquiry by the CCI but adjourned the matter due to the unavailability of the lawyer representing CCI in the matter.
In March, CCI had issued a notice asking Facebook and Whatsapp to furnish information in relation to the probe ordered by it into the instant messaging app's new privacy policy.
According to ANI, appearing for Whatsapp, Senior Advocate Harish Salve said in court that "on one hand, we are insisting to file a response on CCI notices, and on the other hand CCI counsel is seeking adjournment in the matter for another date."
"We have no problem with adjourning the matter if CCI does not insist on us filing a reply to their showcause notice."Harish Salve, Senior Lawyer
Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi appeared for Facebook in the matter.
Earlier on 9 July WhatsApp told the court that it would put on hold its controversial privacy policy until a time when the Personal Data Protection Bill is enacted into a law.
The CCI on 24 March had ordered an investigation into WhatsApp’s proposed privacy policy changes.
“WhatsApp has prima facie contravened the provisions of Section 4 of the Act through its exploitative and exclusionary conduct, as detailed in this order, in the garb of policy update,” the order by the body said.
Post this, the Facebook-owned firm challenged the CCI’s decision before the Delhi High Court.
The CCI meanwhile, in a fresh notice on 4 June, asked Facebook and WhatsApp to furnish details of the new privacy policy.
(With inputs from ANI)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)