Supreme Court orders WhatsApp to detail steps to curb digital arrest scams

The apex court, hearing petitions concerning fraudulent arrest messages, issued a notice to WhatsApp, the popular messaging service owned by Meta Platforms, asking it to explain the safeguards it has in place. The court’s order seeks a comprehensive description of the technical and policy measures WhatsApp intends to adopt to detect and block messages that impersonate law‑enforcement agencies or threaten users with arrest. WhatsApp has previously warned users about such scams and urged them to verify any official communication, but the Supreme Court wants a formal roadmap to ensure systematic prevention. Legal experts say the move underscores growing concerns over digital misinformation and the role of tech platforms in curbing criminal misuse of instant‑messaging services. The response from WhatsApp is expected within a stipulated timeframe, after which the court will review the adequacy of the proposed safeguards.