Court finds no violation in WhatsApp messages sent about government benefits
March 10, 2026: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition alleging violation of privacy after personal details of government employees were accessed from an official salary portal to send bulk WhatsApp messages highlighting the state government’s achievements. The bench led by Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas ruled that the messages circulated by the Kerala State IT Mission regarding salary and dearness allowance updates could not be treated as a breach of privacy.
The court also stated that there was no evidence showing that employees’ data had been directly transferred to the Chief Minister’s Office or that the office had engaged in any form of privacy violation. The ruling came amid allegations that personal data had been misused for a messaging campaign.
The petition was filed by a staff member from the state’s General Administration Department and a college associate professor. They alleged that details of government employees and social welfare pension beneficiaries were accessed from the SPARK portal on directions of the CMO ahead of Assembly elections. The petitioners claimed the move violated privacy protections under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.