Do you know that WhatsApp controls you over information related to your personal life? On the dirty game of social media platform WhatsApp’s parent company Meta and the big question of India’s privacy, senior cyber security lawyer Pawan Duggal said that today WhatsApp is in the mobile of almost every Indian. Crores of Indians chat, call, share photos and videos, do everything through this one app, but now once again the question has arisen that WhatsApp which is giving us free service, is it in return collecting data related to our personal life? Are our words, our likes and dislikes, our needs – all reaching Meta?
The questions raised in the Supreme Court yesterday regarding the privacy policy of WhatsApp and Meta, ABP News has thoroughly investigated whether WhatsApp is really doing this and if yes, then how? The same question was raised in the court whether the user really knows how and where his data is being used? What are WhatsApp-Meta actually doing?
User data is linked to social media platforms
Senior cyber security lawyer Pawan Duggal said that WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram – all three are platforms of Meta Company. The allegations are that user data is linked in some way or the other between all these social media platforms, meaning what do you see on WhatsApp, what do you share and what kind of content are you interested in? On this basis, advertisements and content are shown to you on Facebook and Instagram. He said that people’s experience is that you talk about something and after some time an advertisement related to it starts appearing on your phone.
WhatsApp privacy policy issue raised in Supreme Court
The issue was raised in the Supreme Court regarding the privacy policy of WhatsApp that the common user actually has no option. Either accept the conditions or leave the app. On this, the court said that such a policy confuses the common people and affects their right to privacy.
The court also gave an example of how common people living in different parts of the country – like women living in rural areas of Tamil Nadu or small shopkeepers – would understand a long privacy policy written in English or legal language. Such users simply press the ‘Agree’ button, without knowing on what terms they are giving permission to share their information. This is the reason why the court said that big tech companies cannot take advantage of the helplessness of common people.
Meta’s entire model rests on data: Pawan Duggal
He said, ‘Meta’s entire model is based on data. Meta’s business model is simple. The user uses the app for free, in return his data goes inside the system and on the basis of that data, targeted advertisements are run i.e. the real product is you. This includes your habits, your preferences, your needs.
He said, ‘Whatsapp, Facebook and Instagram are free, but they earn from your information. The permission you give means not only running the app but also sharing your information. WhatsApp’s chats and calls are end-to-end encrypted, that is, even Meta and WhatsApp cannot see or listen to your messages or calls, this is the official claim of the company.
There is no direct evidence of the app listening, hence the allegation does not hold up in the court: Duggal
The cyber security lawyer said, ‘WhatsApp gets access to the phone’s microphone only when you make a call, send a voice note or use a recording. There is no direct evidence that WhatsApp listens, so this allegation does not hold up in court, but then why do people think that WhatsApp listens? So understand the real game. Actually, cross-app data sharing is Meta’s ecosystem. WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram, all three are Meta companies. What you like on Facebook or Instagram, what you search, what video you watch, creates an ad profile of you. Then you mention the same thing to someone on WhatsApp and after some time the same advertisement appears on Instagram. People think, ‘Hey man, we talked and immediately the ad came’. Actually the ad does not come from the microphone, but from your digital behavior.
He said, ‘There is also a claim abroad that your friends are searching for some product. You are in the same group. Algorithms think you might also be interested in it. Therefore, targeting also happens due to the behavior of the people around you. At the same time, your search history on Google, what you watch on YouTube, your location on maps, what you are buying on shopping apps – all these together create a digital profile of you.
He further said, ‘The conversation on WhatsApp seems to be just a coincidence, but the data is already available with the system. The question raised in the Supreme Court is not just legal but is related to the everyday life of common people.
Also read: Budget Session 2026: No one could escape from the clutches of ED! Punishment given at the rate of 94.82 percent, government presented the data in Rajya Sabha
