Troubles for WhatsApp far from over, Russia slaps administrative proceedings

Embattling several legal battles across boundaries, trouble for global tech giant WhatsApp seems far from over. The latest trouble for the multibillion-dollar company comes from Russia that has slapped administrative proceedings against Facebook‘s WhatsApp for what it said was a failure to localise data of Russian users on Russian territory.

Last week a Russian court fined Alphabet Inc.’s Google 3 million roubles for violating personal data legislation and registered administrative proceedings against Facebook and Twitter for the same offence.

WhatsApp is embodied in a legal battle in India as well. The Delhi High Court will hear its plea on August 27. The case was filed by Facebook and WhatsApp challenging the new IT rules for social media intermediaries, requiring the messaging app to “trace” chats and make provisions to identify the first originator of the information, on the ground that they violate the right to privacy.

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According to the proceedings against WhatsApp are part of a wider spat between Russia and Big Tech, with Moscow routinely fining social media giants for failing to remove banned content and seeking to compel foreign tech firms to open offices in Russia.

Experts believe that WhatsApp could be fined between 1 million and 6 million roubles ($13,700 to $82,250), Interfax reported, citing court documents. A court date has not yet been set.