Delhi HC Judge Justice Prathiba Singh, Recuses Herself From Facebook, WhatsApp Pleas Against CCI Order Against Their Privacy Policy

Justice Prathiba Singh of the Delhi High Court today recused herself from 2 pleas filed by Facebook Inc and WhatsApp challenging a Competition Commission of India (CCI) order directing investigation into WhatsApp's contentious new privacy policy, the rollout of which was pushed back due to uproars over it for, inter alia, being discriminatory.

The single bench judge recused herself from adjudicating the matters and directed the Delhi High Court registry to list them before another bench, subject to the Chief Justice's approval, on Apr 12.

WhatsApp and its parent company have challenged a Mar 24 order of the CCI which had directed a probe into WhatsApp's new privacy policy to be completed within 60 days.

Filed through Adv Tejas Karia, both the petitions contend that since the issue of WhatsApp's privacy policy is already sub judice the Supreme Court, the CCI probe was unnecessary. CCI had decided to look into WhatsApp's new policy basis reports on the same.

In the past as well, Justice Singh has recused herself from hearing another plea related to WhatsApp, which was challenging its new privacy policy.