Indian govt exceeded powers with encryption-breaking rule: WhatsApp filing

A rule drafted by the IT ministry will lead to a 'dangerous invasion of privacy' and was 'unconstitutional', says company in lawsuit.

India’s government exceeded its legal powers by enacting rules that companies such as WhatsApp say will force them to break end-to-end message encryption, the messaging app owned by Facebook argued in a court filing seen by Reuters.

WhatsApp has filed a lawsuit in a Delhi court against the government to quash a provision of a new regulation that mandates companies to divulge the "first originator of information", arguing in favour of protecting privacy. 

In a statement on Wednesday, WhatsApp said it would engage with the Indian government to find "practical solutions" and protect users, but its court filing shows it