The Supreme Court has asked tech companies like WhatsApp and other intermediaries to inform it about the measures they propose that can be taken in order to prevent digital arrest scams and other such cybercrimes in India.
In an order which was uploaded on the Supreme Court’s website with regard to a hearing conducted on 29 October in a suo motu case ‘In Re: Victims of Digital Arrest Related to Forged Documents’, a bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, asked WhatsApp and similar intermediaries to submit their proposals regarding prevention of digital arrests and other cybercrimes to the I4C (Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre).
The bench had listed the plea for further consideration on 23 November.
Appearing for the Meta-owned messaging platform, senior advocate Kapil Sibal had informed the bench during the hearing that WhatsApp did take preventive measures to curb cybercrimes on its platforms.
These measures included taking action againt 9,400 accounts. He also told the bench that WhatsApp will also file an affidavit regarding the steps they have taken in this regard.
Sibal also informed the apex court that the messaging platform was working on a software which would help identify accounts that are suspicious and then warn users accordingly.
“WhatsApp LLC (A Meta company) and other concerned intermediaries are also directed to apprise this Court of the measures they propose to undertake to prevent the digital arrest scams and related cybercrimes. They shall also simultaneously submit their proposals to the I4C,” the bench said in its order.
This order comes in the wake of Indians losing ₹800 crore to cybercrimes so far in 2026.
With PTI inputs
