Supreme Court Rejects Plea Seeking Restoration of Blocked WhatsApp Accounts

The Supreme Court dismissed a writ petition seeking restoration of blocked WhatsApp accounts and guidelines on account suspension by social media intermediaries. 

A Division bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta noted that WhatsApp is not a State actor, questioning the maintainability of an Article 32 petition.

The petitioners, who used the accounts to communicate with clients, were advised to seek remedies through civil suits or other legal forums.

The bench also suggested using alternative messaging platforms, including Arattai, an indigenous app by Zoho. No interim relief was granted, and the petition was effectively withdrawn by the counsel.

[Dr. Raman Kundra and Anr v Whatsapp LLC/META Platform and Ors.]