The Supreme Court of India has directed WhatsApp users to clear their data from inactive accounts. This decision aims to ensure that mobile numbers, once reassigned, don’t carry over the previous user’s data to the new owner.

Here’s the crux: Telecom operators like Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea must now reallocate a mobile number to a new user when you stop using it. This new user can then activate it for their WhatsApp use. A number becomes inactive if it goes 90 days without calls, messages, or recharges.

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Why does this matter for WhatsApp users?

Your mobile number ties to WhatsApp verification. If your number becomes inactive and you haven’t deleted your WhatsApp account or cloud-stored data, there’s a risk. The new owner of your old number could inadvertently access your WhatsApp data when they sign up.

To prevent such privacy breaches, the Supreme Court’s advice is clear: delete your WhatsApp data and unlink your number if it becomes inactive. This way, when a number gets a new owner and they verify it on WhatsApp, they start with a clean slate, ensuring privacy and data security for all parties involved.

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