FB, WhatsApp move HC seeking stay on CCI notice in Privacy Policy matter

Facebook and WhatsApp on Monday urged the Delhi High Court to stay the Competition Commission of India (CCI) notice asking them to furnish certain information regarding a probe ordered by it into Whatsapp’s new Privacy Policy. 

A vacation bench of Justices Anup Jairam Bhambhani and Jasmeet Singh said that it would pass an order on the application. 

According to the media reports, during the hearing, the bench said that since it was sitting on a vacation bench, it did not want to delve into the merits of the matter even as the main petitions are pending before a bench headed by the Chief Justice. 

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“We will pass an order. The matter will be listed on July 9 (the date already fixed for the main petitions),” the bench said. 

The case relates to the appeals of Facebook and WhatsApp against a single judge order dismissing their pleas the probe CCI ordered into the instant messaging app's new privacy policy. 

The High Court had earlier made an appeal and asked the Centre to respond to it. 

As per the media reports, the two social media platforms had contended that when the top court and the Delhi High Court were looking into the privacy policy, CCI ought not to have “jumped the gun” and intervened in the issue. 

In their fresh applications filed in the pending appeals, the two tech giant companies sought a stay on the CCI’s June 4 notice asking them to furnish certain information for the purpose of inquiry conducted by it.