Court Refuses To Stay Notice Issued To WhatsApp By Competition Commission

The Delhi High Court has refused to stay the notice issued by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to WhatsApp and its parent firm Facebook seeking certain information with regard to its probe into the messaging platform’s new privacy policy.

The HC had on Monday reserved its order in the matter.

The division bench comprising justices Anup Jairam Bhambhani and Jasmeet Singh, while refusing to interfere at this stage, said there is no doubt that the issuance of impugned notice by the director general investigation of CCI is a step in furtherance of the investigation commenced in the suo motu case, in which the investigation is a subject matter of the challenge in an appeal. “…We do not consider it appropriate to stay the operation of impugned notice of June 4, 2021 at this stage…” the HC stated.

However, it urged “the DG, CCI to bear in mind that the investigation against the appellant is under judicial consideration before a division bench of this court” and the matter would be taken by the regular bench on July 9.