At a time when the social media and messaging platforms are at loggerheads with the Centre over the new IT Rules, the Opposition has sharpened its attack against the Narendra Modi government, accusing it of violating the Right to Privacy. Hitting out at the government, Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said that every country is bound to create a law to ensure accountability of media platforms but the Indian government has ignored the privacy norms of individuals. “Every country is bound to create its law mechanism to ensure accountability of media platforms. Over the years we have seen how these platforms have become tools for propaganda, fake news and manipulated narrative without being answerable to authorities. These platforms adhere to norms set by regions like EU, Australia, Singapore. USA summoned Mark Zuckerberg in a publicly broadcasted trial to question role in elections. Whatsapp has been breaching privacy norms of Indian citizens while looking at India as a market to profiteer,” she said on Twitter.

She added that instead of seeking accountability from them, the government has acted just the opposite. “However, new IT rules instead of seeking accountability has chosen to control these platforms by bypassing privacy norms of individuals, violating basic Right to Privacy enshrined India’s constitution. Hope the courts will take a nuanced & balanced call on this issue,” she said in another tweet.

Congress leader Sanjay Jha said that the state of democracy in the country is such that a media platform is taking on the government on behalf of citizens of India. “The state of Indian democracy: WhatsApp takes cudgels on behalf of Indian citizens for privacy intrusions. Banana republic,” he said.

AAP Social media Team member Kapil said that while people are suing WhatsApp across the world, in India, WhatsApp is suing the government. “Everywhere in world, people are suing whatsapp for privacy. In India, WhatsApp is suing Indian Govt for privacy. Aur kitne bure dinn chahiye doston!” he said in a tweet.

Notably, WhatsApp has moved the Delhi High Court yesterday challenging the central government’s recent IT rules that require messaging services to trace the origin of particular messages sent on the service. It claimed that the new law would force WhatsApp and other platforms to violate users’ privacy by breaking encryption and creating a database of everyone’s messages.