Over the last two days, Indians have been fearful that social networkingapps like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Twitter could be banned fromoperating in the country because these firms failed to comply with new ITrules released to regulate the digital space in February.

Facebook-owned WhatsApp on Wednesday approached the Delhi High Court byfiling a legal complaint urging to push back the enforcement of IT rulesannounced by federal Ministers Ravi Prasad Sharma and Prakash Javedkar on25 February.

In its filing, WhatsApp expressed concerns about one specific IT rule,stipulating that social networking platforms have to reveal the originatorof a said post if the government wishes to trace it. With this rule, theIndian government has been aiming to check the spread of fake news in Indiaamong the nation’s more than 700 million social networking app users.

“Requiring messaging apps to ‘trace’ chats is the equivalent of asking usto keep a fingerprint of every single message sent on WhatsApp, which wouldbreak end-to-end encryption and fundamentally undermines people’s right toprivacy”, reads the WhatsApp statement submitted to the Delhi High Court.

Great sitkin volcano Eruption hits Alaska, USGS issues red warninglink

Hoping to open routes to discussion on the subject with the Indiangovernment, WhatsApp’s statement further noted that the company will”continue to engage with the government of India on practical solutionsaimed at keeping people safe, including responding to valid legal requestsfor the information available to” the app.

Along with requiring social networking apps to reveal the origin ofproblematic content per a government request, India’s IT rules have alsodirected Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms to appoint designatedofficers to tend to user grievances and coordinate with security agenciesaround the clock.

The three-month deadline that was extended by the government for theseplatforms to accept the intermediary IT rules ended on 25 May.

While Facebook’s WhatsApp has filed a complaint against the government’srules in the Delhi High Court, Twitter so far has remained silent on thematter.