It tells HC that the probe was to gauge whether or not entry to information would result in abuse of dominant place.
The Competitors Fee of India (CCI) on Tuesday defended earlier than the Delhi Excessive Court docket its resolution calling for an investigation into the WhatsApp’s new privateness coverage.
The competitors watchdog, represented by Further Solicitor Basic Aman Lekhi, stated the probe order was made to gauge whether or not entry to information would result in abuse of dominant place.
The fee stated it was coping with the moment messaging app’s new privateness coverage that might result in “extreme information assortment” of shoppers, the use and sharing of the information in anti-competitive context.
Mr. Lekhi stated the fee was not involved with privateness facet of the problem because the Supreme Court docket was already seized of it.
The CCI’s submission got here whereas listening to two separate petitions filed by Fb and WhatsApp difficult its March 24 path ordered for a probe into WhatsApp’s new privateness coverage. The CCI had ordered that the investigation be accomplished inside 60 days.
Mr. Lekhi stated it was too early for the Excessive Court docket to listen to the petitions because the CCI had solely ordered for an investigation, the report for which was but to return.
WhatsApp, represented by senior advocate Harish Salve, stated the CCI had jumped the gun and began the probe when this was not a contest problem.
WhatsApp stated the problem with respect to private information of customers, and sharing of personalised information was already earlier than the Supreme Court docket, therefore the CCI ought to not have intervened.
Each Fb and WhatsApp, of their separate pleas, have contended that because the problem of WhatsApp’s privateness coverage was earlier than the Supreme Court docket, the CCI didn’t have to order the probe.
After listening to all of the events, Justice Navin Chawla reserved the judgment.