WhatsApp today assured the Supreme Court that its payments service in India is currently in trial mode and will launch fully only after compliance with the RBI's norms, per Bar & Bench. WhatsApp said it's likely to complete the trial run by July. “We cannot launch the product without compliance," said WhatsApp's attorney Kapil Sibal. The apex court was hearing a petition seeking direction that WhatsApp comply with RBI norms for its payments service. The court has now listed the matter for July, taking note of WhatsApp's assurance. Update: This matter is now listed for July 17th, 2019 (see order copy at the bottom). This development comes just a day after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg reiterated that the company won't store user data in countries which have a weak law and where governments may get access to it: "More countries following the approach of authoritarian regimes adopting strict data localisation policies where governments can more easily access people’s data, and I’m highly concerned about that future." “Our stance on data localisation is a risk. That is, if we get blocked in a major country, that will hurt our community and our business. But our principles on data localisation aren’t new and this has always been a risk. - Mark Zuckerberg Petition sought direction for WhatsApp to comply with Indian laws Delhi-based organisation, the Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change, had petitioned the Supreme Court about WhatsApp's failure to comply with Indian laws, including its failure to appoint a grievance officer.…
