{"id":1301543,"date":"2025-10-19T14:06:03","date_gmt":"2025-10-19T08:36:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/?p=1301543"},"modified":"2025-10-19T14:06:33","modified_gmt":"2025-10-19T08:36:33","slug":"access-to-whatsapp-isnt-fundamental-right-of-any-citizen-supreme-court","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/access-to-whatsapp-isnt-fundamental-right-of-any-citizen-supreme-court\/","title":{"rendered":"Access To Whatsapp Isn’t Fundamental Right Of Any Citizen – Supreme Court"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In a significant judgment, the Supreme Court of India<\/strong> has declared that access to private messaging platforms such as WhatsApp<\/strong> cannot be considered a fundamental right under the Constitution. The verdict came after a petition by Dr. Raman Kundra<\/strong>, a medical practitioner, whose WhatsApp account had been blocked. She argued that the ban violated her right to communication and affected her professional duties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the bench led by Justice Sanjiv Khanna<\/strong> dismissed the plea, emphasizing that WhatsApp is a private entity<\/strong> and operates under its own terms and conditions. The court stated that users must comply with a platform\u2019s policies and cannot claim constitutional protection for private services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Access<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Court Suggests Using Alternative Indian Platforms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While rejecting the petition, the Supreme Court suggested that the petitioner could explore other messaging services such as Zoho\u2019s Arattai <\/strong><\/a>app<\/strong> \u2014 a homegrown alternative. \u201cYou can use Arattai,\u201d remarked the bench, hinting at India\u2019s growing digital independence and the government\u2019s broader push toward indigenous tech solutions<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The court further clarified that claims regarding alleged violations of free speech or data misuse by private platforms must be addressed through appropriate civil or regulatory forums<\/strong>, not constitutional petitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arattai: India\u2019s Swadeshi Answer to WhatsApp<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Following the verdict, interest in Zoho\u2019s Arattai<\/strong> app has surged once again. Launched in 2021<\/strong> by the Tamil Nadu\u2013based tech firm Zoho, Arattai \u2014 which means \u201cchat\u201d in Tamil \u2014 has positioned itself as a \u201cspyware-free, made-in-India\u201d<\/strong> messaging platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent months, Arattai has climbed India\u2019s app store charts, briefly overtaking WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal. The rise was fueled by increasing concerns around data privacy, AI surveillance,<\/strong> and foreign tech dependency<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The app offers features similar to global counterparts, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • One-to-one and group chats with media sharing<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Encrypted audio and video calls<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Multi-device sync including desktop and Android TV apps<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Channels and stories for broadcasting updates<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    A Step Toward Digital Sovereignty<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The ruling marks a clear message \u2014 while digital communication<\/strong> is essential, it remains bound by private policies and not constitutional entitlement. At the same time, the court\u2019s nod to indigenous tools like Arattai<\/strong> highlights India\u2019s ongoing journey toward digital sovereignty and self-reliance in technology<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    In a significant judgment, the Supreme Court of India has declared that access to private messaging platforms such as WhatsApp cannot be considered a fundamental right under the Constitution. The verdict came after a petition by Dr. Raman Kundra, a medical practitioner, whose WhatsApp account had been blocked. She argued that the ban violated her […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":1301558,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[114],"class_list":["post-1301543","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-whatsapp"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAccess To Whatsapp Isn't Fundamental Right Of Any Citizen - Supreme Court - Trak.in - Indian Business of Tech, Mobile & Startups<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/access-to-whatsapp-isnt-fundamental-right-of-any-citizen-supreme-court\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Access To Whatsapp Isn't Fundamental Right Of Any Citizen - Supreme Court - Trak.in - Indian Business of Tech, Mobile & Startups\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In a significant judgment, the Supreme Court of India has declared that access to private messaging platforms such as WhatsApp cannot be considered a fundamental right under the Constitution. 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