: SC seeks WhatsApp reply on plea for non-sharing of UPI data with any third party #IndiaNEWS #India The Supreme Court Monday asked instant messaging app WhatsApp to file response on a plea seeking

SC seeks WhatsApp reply on plea for non-sharing of UPI data with any third party #IndiaNEWS #India
The Supreme Court Monday asked instant messaging app WhatsApp to file response on a plea seeking a direction to the RBI and the NPCI to ensure that data collected on Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platforms are not shared with their parent company or any other third party under any circumstances.

A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian said if WhatsApp does not file its reply, then the averment made in the writ petition filed by petitioner Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam will be taken as accepted.

Several interlocutory applications have been filed in the plea which also seek direction for framing regulation to ensure that data collected on UPI platforms is not exploited or used in any manner other than for processing payments.

Senior advocate Arvind Dattar, appearing for WhatsApp India, said however no formal notice has been issued to it in the plea for impleadment in the matter.

Senior advocate V Giri, appearing for Reserve Bank of India, informed the top court that they have filed their reply in the matter.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, also appearing for WhatsApp, said WhatsApp Pay has received all necessary permission.

Senior advocate Krishna Venugopal, appearing for the petitioner, said the last time the court asked the company if Israeli sypware Pegasus has breached their system, it stated that the issue was not pleaded in the petition, which is wrong.

The bench said that it proposes that the petition be tagged with a similar plea pending in the top court and asked the Centre to file an affidavit on the issue of spyware.

Venugopal said that till date Facebook and WhatsApp have not filed a counter-affidavit in the matter, despite the petition being pending for months and they should also be asked to file counter-affidavit.

At the fag end of the hearing, the CJI told the counsels for WhatsApp that pleas challenging its new privacy policy are pending before the Supreme Court and posted the matter for further hearing after four weeks.

In its affidavit, the RBI has told the top court that it has no responsibility to conduct audit of members of United Payments Interface (UPI) ecosystem and responsibility to ensure that private firms like Google and WhatsApp comply with norms lies with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

The RBI also said that the matters related to data privacy and data sharing are the domain of the central government.

It also sought dismissal of the PIL filed by Viswam seeking direction to it to frame regulation to ensure that data collected on UPI platforms is not exploited or used in any manner other than for processing payments.