Daily
250 words
7/10
Rating

8 July 2026

WhatsApp username and informational privacy

The topic directly involves the application of the fundamental right to privacy under Article 21 and the Puttaswamy judgment in the context of digital governance and internal security challenges posed by social media platforms.

1 min read Day 5 of 5 2 questions 1 prelims

Notes

  • Informational privacy is a facet of the fundamental right to privacy under Article 21, as established by the Supreme Court in the 2017 Justice K.S. Puttaswamy judgment.
  • The 2017 judgment clarified that threats to privacy in the information age originate from both state and non-state actors.
  • WhatsApp proposed an optional 'username' feature to allow users to hide their phone numbers from others.
  • The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) expressed concerns that the username feature could facilitate cybercrimes, including phishing, fraud, and identity spoofing.
  • The Supreme Court's test for state encroachment on privacy requires a fair law, a legitimate state aim, and adherence to the principle of proportionality.
  • The Anuradha Bhasin case highlighted the need to balance individual liberty with national security, cautioning against extreme swings in either direction.

Part of a longer story

This is day 5 of 5 in Government regulation of messaging platform features, which has been running since 2 July 2026. Reading it whole is usually worth more than reading today alone — the exam asks how something developed.

Questions

  1. The Supreme Court has held that informational privacy is a facet of the fundamental right to privacy. In this context, discuss the challenges of balancing individual privacy with the state's mandate to ensure national security and public welfare. 150 words
    Attempt this — 150 words in 8 min
    0 / 150 words 8:00
  2. Examine the legal framework governing the regulation of digital platforms in India. How does the 'test of proportionality' serve as a safeguard against potential state overreach in the digital domain while addressing concerns regarding cybercrime and identity security? 250 words
    Attempt this — 250 words in 11 min
    0 / 250 words 11:00

Prelims

  1. Which landmark Supreme Court judgment established that 'informational privacy' is a facet of the fundamental right to privacy under Article 21?

Syllabus

Topics

Sources

250words.in · https://250words.in/daily/2026-07-08/whatsapp-username-and-informational-privacy