CCI imposes ₹213 crore penalty on Meta
On November 18, 2024, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) imposed a ₹213 crore penalty on Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of WhatsApp, for abusing its dominant position through the 2021 privacy policy update of its messaging app, WhatsApp. The CCI determined that the update undermined users’ ability to opt out of having their data shared with Meta’s social media platform, Facebook.
The CCI’s order includes several directives:
- WhatsApp is prohibited from sharing user data collected on its platform with other Meta companies or products for advertising purposes for five years.
- For purposes other than advertising, WhatsApp’s policy must provide a detailed explanation of the user data shared with other Meta group companies or products, specifying the purpose.
- Sharing user data collected on WhatsApp with other Meta companies or products for purposes other than providing WhatsApp services should not be a condition for users to access WhatsApp services in India.
In response, Meta has announced plans to appeal the CCI’s decision. A Meta spokesperson stated, “We disagree with the CCI’s decision and plan to appeal. As a reminder, the 2021 update did not change the privacy of people’s personal messages and was offered as a choice for users at the time.”
This development underscores the ongoing scrutiny of data privacy practices by regulatory authorities in India and highlights the importance of user consent in data-sharing policies.
