When WhatsApp launched its read receipts feature a couple of years ago in the form of the double blue ticks, it made quite a hoo-ha as many users didn’t exactly like the idea of seeing how some of their messages were read but not replied to, although we guess this is largely out of the company’s hands.
However it seems that over in India, these double blue ticks represent more than just a read receipt and a source of anguish amongst friends. This is because the Delhi High Court has pretty much stated that these double blue ticks can also serve as a proof of receipt for when legal notices are sent via the messenger platform.
This came about in a case where a man had requested that the court order a restraint against his son and daughter-in-law and her parents from trespassing into the suit property. The court then told him to send a legal notice to those involved, but he said that it would take time. They then told him that he could send the legal notice via WhatsApp, and that should the messages show a double blue tick, it could act as a proof of receipt.
It is an interesting precedent although this is an optional feature where users can turn it off if they choose to. That being said, we’re not sure if there will be other countries that will follow in India’s footsteps.