Supreme Court closes PIL seeking ban on video communications app Zoom

The Supreme Court on Tuesday has closed the PIL that sought a ban on video communications app 'Zoom' for official as well as personal use, after going through the minutes of the meeting held by the National Security Council Secretariat.

The PIL filed by Delhi resident Harsh Chugh in 2020 in the wake of subsequent developments was heard by a bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and MM Sundresh.  The bench said that nothing survived in the PIL.

“We have considered the minutes of the meeting of the National Security Council Secretariat held on December 28, 2020 regarding the security features of Zoom, VC platform. In our opinion, nothing survives in the present writ petition in view of the said document. Accordingly, the proceedings are closed,” the bench said in its order.

The PIL raised privacy concerns and claimed that continued use of the Zoom app is "making the users vulnerable and prone to cyber threats". The top court had on May 22, 2020 sought the response of the Centre to the PIL.

The plea had made the US-based Zoom Video Communications one of the respondents in the case.

Chugh, in the PIL, had also sought a direction to the Centre to carry out an exhaustive technical study of the potential security and privacy risks of using the Zoom application. He had alleged that continued use of this app might put national security at stake and could boost cyber-threats and cyber-crimes in India.