Bar Association President Moves MP High Court Against Blocking Of His WhatsApp Accounts

The President of the Madhya Pradesh High Court Bar Association has approached the Madhya Pradesh High Court against WhatsApp LLC's decision to block his primary and secondary WhatsApp accounts.

The petition is scheduled to be listed tomorrow (October 7) before a bench of Justice Vishal Mishra.

According to the petition, WhatsApp unilaterally blocked the mobile number used by the petitioner for managing his business and professional communications. The petitioner has submitted that he relies on the WhatsApp account for instant communication to "high-stakes litigation, coordinate court filings, receive briefing notes, and communicate with fellow advocates and client representatives".

It was stated that the petitioner has been using the primary account for several years as his primary business and professional handle. Further, it was stated that the petitioner submitted a formal in-app review on August 23, 2026 under the statutory grievance mechanism, but the same was not resolved. He was reportedly not provided with reasons within the timeline mandated by Rule 3(2) of the IT Rules, 2021. 

It was stated that due to severe disruptions to online legal practice, the petitioner had to procure a secondary number. However, the secondary number was also restricted and suspended. Thereafter, the petitioner served WhatsApp with a formal notice on September 2, 2026, demanding immediate restoration and technical disclosure. Per the petition, even after sending notice, WhatsApp neither restored access nor provided reasons for its action. 

Therefore, the petition prayed for a writ of mandamus directing WhatsApp to immediately and unconditionally restore the petitioner's full access and functionality to primary and secondary accounts. The petition also sought an interim order seeking restoration of his accounts during the pendency of the writ petition.