Ambika Bhardwaj
Published On: January 03, 2022 at 15:12 IST
The Delhi High Court allows more time to Facebook and Whatsapp to lodge their reply on the notices sent to them by the Competition Commission of India.
The Bench was hearing the Pleas of both the social media sites which were challenging the single Bench as it had rejected their Petitions opposing CCI Authority for the inquiry of the new privacy policy.
Justice DN Patel and Judge Jyoti Singh acknowledged on Monday that the Defendants unfinished data protection Bill had Adjourned the Case till March 30, 2022.
After making observations of the Appellant’s submission, the Court granted Whatsapp and Facebook time to reply to the CCI notice and requested several information.
The Case was postponed until March 30, 2022, by the Court.
Petitioners were given time after Whatsapp LLC’s lead Advocate, Harish Salve, notified the Court that the ICC was asserting on a reply to the notifications regardless of the fact that the case was in Court and awaiting judicial review.
CCI’s Additional Solicitor General Aman Lekhi, stated that the suspension which was granted on July 30, 2021 and stretched till August 27, 2021, was consequently rescinded on October 11, 2021.
CCI issued a notice to Whatsapp on June 4 and a notice to Facebook on June 8 requesting information and response to specific questions.
Previously, the Delhi High Court urged the GM of the CCI to take into account that the inquiry against the Appellants (WhatsApp and Facebook) is being reviewed by a division chamber of this Court.
The Bench also stated that, in its opinion, the publication of the disputed viewpoint by the DG was a move in the resumption of the inquiry launched in the Suo-Motu Case.