WinZO Seeks Microsoft’s Assistance in Corporate Spying Case Against Zupee

Microsoft Teams, as the platform custodian, has a legal obligation to assist in uncovering the truth and preventing the misuse of its services for unlawful activities.

New Delhi, December 13, 2024: WinZO, India’s largest vernacular social gaming platform, has sought permission from the Delhi High Court to seek critical information from Microsoft as part of its ongoing legal battle against Zupee and associated entities, including Data Empiric and FutureMinds Consulting, resulting into issuance of notice by the Court. The case centers around allegations of corporate espionage, theft of information, and misrepresentation aimed at compromising WinZO’s trade secrets, proprietary business data, and intellectual property, and unfair trade practices.

WinZO has alleged that Zupee engaged in unauthorized attempts to extract sensitive business information under false pretenses, including bribing WinZO’s business partners and employees to obtain confidential details about revenue, marketing plans, critical metrics, and maliciously interfering with obligations of the contract. This application appears to be premised on WinZO’s potential claim that statements made by Zupee during court proceedings were false and would constitute perjury. WinZO has submitted audio recordings to substantiate its claims, requesting the court to validate facts from Microsoft, a platform that was used by Zupee to members.

The current application to involve Microsoft, seeks to verify the veracity of Zupee’s denial of involvement in soliciting WinZO’s confidential data or instructing third parties to do so. WinZO has submitted transcripts identifying senior Zupee representatives—including COO Akanksha Dhamija and Chief of Staff Govind Mittal—as participants in a paid “market research” scheme orchestrated by Data Empiric and Zupee. The operation allegedly leveraged Microsoft Teams’ “Guest” feature to mask identities while attempting to solicit highly sensitive business data, and bribing employees to utilize their access to spy further and provide algorithm and proprietary business information—integral to WinZO’s competitive advantage.

Further, WinZO claims its commercial contracts were interfered with due to Zupee’s undue access to confidential information after poaching a senior legal team member with access to all such contract

WinZO has requested the court to direct Microsoft to disclose participant details, including IP addresses and other identifiers, and to ensure the preservation of all relevant evidence to prevent tampering or deletion. Emphasizing the urgency of evidence preservation, WinZO has sought the appointment of a Local Commissioner, citing the risk of crucial data being erased or altered by the defendants.

WinZO Spokesperson’s Statement
“At WinZO, we uphold a zero-tolerance policy for unethical business practices and remain steadfast in our commitment to protect what we have built. We will pursue and expose anyone who threatens the integrity of our business.

Innovation is the lifeblood of the startup ecosystem, and we refuse to stand idle while unscrupulous elements and competitors attempt to undermine it with deceitful tactics. This fight is not just about WinZO—it is about defending the principles that drive progress and entrepreneurship.

This is a call to action on behalf of every entrepreneur, especially early-stage innovators who lack the resources to fight back. Through this stand, we send a loud and clear message: unethical behavior has no place in our ecosystem, and those who engage in it will face the consequences.”