The Delhi High Court has extended timeline for WhatsApp and Facebook to file their response over notices issued to them by the Competition Commission of India (CCI). The division bench was hearing the petitions of WhatsApp and Facebook challenging the single bench, which had dismissed their pleas challenging a CCI order for an investigation into the messaging app’s new privacy policy.
After taking notes of the submission of the appellant the court granted time to WhatsApp and Facebook to file their response over notice issued to them by CCI. The court adjourned the matter for March 30, 2022.
Earlier, WhatsApp was sent a notice on June 4, 2021, while Facebook was sent a notice on June 8, 2021, by CCI, seeking information and response to certain queries. The Delhi High Court urged the director general (DG), CCI, to bear in mind that investigation against the appellant (WhatsApp and Facebook) is under judicial consideration before a division bench of this court. The bench had also stated that in its view, there was no doubt that the issuance of impugned notice by the DG is a step in furtherance of the investigation commenced in the suo-moto case, in which investigation is a subject matter of the challenge in the present letter patents appeal (LPA).
Thereafter, Facebook and WhatsApp had approached the division bench through an appeal challenged single-judge bench order dismissing their pleas against the CCI decision. The single bench of Delhi High Court on April 22, 2021 had dismissed Facebook and WhatsApp pleas challenging a CCI order for an investigation into the messaging app’s new privacy policy. The petitioners had challenged the March 24, 2021 order passed by CCI directing a probe into the new privacy policy and the probe should be completed within 60 days.
