K N Govindacharya moves SC against Facebook, WhatsApp

RSS ideologue K N Govindacharya on Monday approached the Supreme Court for registration of an FIR by the National Investigation Agency against Facebook, WhatsApp, Israel’s NSO group for violating the fundamental right to privacy of Indians, as reports emerged that mobile phones of more than 121 users were compromised.

He also sought a direction to initiate perjury proceedings against the company for claiming before the top court in a separate case that users data were fully encrypted and no one including WhatsApp has the key to decrypt it. In a PIL, he contended the social media company, with 40 crores of Indian users, has revealed that its systems were hacked by an Israel-based intelligence company NSO Group, in which data of many Indian users were also compromised.

In a hearing on a transfer petition by Facebook, its subsidiary WhatsApp submitted that it was a secure platform, and the situation was akin to a locked room.

“This statement is contradictory to its own filing before the US Supreme Court which states that it came to know about the hacking in May 2019. Thus, it is clear that WhatsApp committed perjury by falsely claiming a protected system and failing to disclose about the NSO hack,” his plea stated.

He contended that interception of the mobile phone strikes at the core of human life and privacy, and thus cannot be allowed without any lawful purpose and process.