The High Court has quashed a decision by the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner that found WPP Scangroup liable for violating the privacy rights of former chief executive Bharat Thakrar.

The ODPC had ordered Scangroup to pay Thakrar Sh1.95 million and delete data that included private WhatsApp messages and files obtained during investigations into his conduct.

The High Court found problems with how the regulator handled the complaint, including overlapping questions that were already before other proceedings.

The dispute arose from investigations conducted after Thakrar left Scangroup in 2021 following allegations of gross misconduct.