2023 INSC 968
NON-REPORTABLE
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
EXTRA-ORDINARY ORIGINAL JURISDICTION
WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) NO. 699/2021
RAJESWARI PETITIONER(S)
VERSUS
UNION OF INDIA & ORS. RESPONDENT(S)
ORDER
We are not inclined to proceed further with the present writ petition, as it is clear from the counter affidavit filed by respondent no. 2 – Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) that the cellular mobile telephone number once deactivated for nonusage or disconnected on the request of subscriber, is not allocated to the new subscriber for at least a period of 90 days. It is for the earlier subscriber to take adequate steps to ensure that privacy is maintained. The subscriber can prevent misuse of WhatsApp data by deleting the WhatsApp account attached with the previous phone number and erasing the WhatsApp data stored on the local device memory/cloud/drive. Further, as per the information available on the WhatsApp help center, to eliminate enmesh/ confusion in case of re-cycled phone numbers, they monitor account inactivity, and when an account is inactive for 45 days and then the account is activated on a different mobile device, the old account data is removed.
Recording the aforesaid, the writ petition is dismissed. Pending application(s), if any, shall stand disposed of.
..................J.
(SANJIV KHANNA)
..................J. (S.V.N. BHATTI) NEW DELHI; OCTOBER 30, 2023.