Madras HC wants to know if WhatsApp complies with IT Act; Flipkart focuses on small towns for festive sale

The Madras High Court has asked the social messaging platform Whatsapp to confirm whether it complies with the Information Technology (IT) Act 2000. Ecommerce giant Flipkart is ramping up its logistics network in small towns ahead of its Big Billion Day sales event. 

WhatsApp traceability case: Madras HC asks platform if it complies with IT Act

The Madras High Court has asked the social messaging platform Whatsapp to confirm whether it complies with the Information Technology (IT) Act 2000, The Economic Times reports.

Madras HC Judge M Satyanarayanan had asked the Facebook-owned entity to respond after the Tamil Nadu state government said the encrypted messaging platform was bound to comply with the provisions of the IT Act, 2000.

The High Court is hearing a case on linking social media accounts to an individual's proof of identity. WhatsApp has resisted state government’s attempts to access user information, saying that traceability is a violation of user privacy. 

In a related development, the digital rights organisation Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court against Facebook's request to transfer the case outside Madras HC. 

The centre is currently working on amending rules under Section 79 that is aimed at fighting rumours and fake news over the internet and social media platforms, the report added.

With a user base of 400 million, India is WhatsApp’s largest market. 

Flipkart expects strong sales during its Big Billion Days
 
Walmart-owned ecommerce giant Flipkart expects strong sales in tier II and tier III cities during of The Big Billion Days (TBBD) event this year, reports the Mint. 
Ecommerce companies have ramped up logistics and have also hired thousands of temporary workers to ensure delivery of products ahead of festive sales, the report said. 

Flipkart’s annual event will be held between  September 29 and October 4. Its rival Amazon has also confirmed that it will host its flagship sale event, the 'Great Indian Festival,' during the same period, the report added.

Kalyan Krishnamurthy, group chief executive officer of Flipkart, believes ecommerce can boost consumption and revive economic activity. 

"We start preparing for TBBD months in advance and the aim is to solve the challenges for the long term. Our focus is on adding new customers and enhancing their experience while they are on the platform. The trends we see in TBBD become the new normal during usual business days," said Krishnamurthy, reports the Mint. 

The Walmart-owned platform has recently taken a number of initiatives like adding Hindi language capability, introducing videos to the platform and enhancing the last mile-connectivity. The company has also on-boarded nearly 27,000 Kirana shops across 700 cities to strengthen its pan-India supply chain.