Meta will file an appeal challenging the decision of the Competition Commission of India.
CCI has imposed a hefty penalty of ₹213.14 crore on Meta for abusing its dominant position.
The penalty pertains to the controversial implementation of WhatsApp’s 2021 Privacy Policy, which mandated data sharing between WhatsApp and other Meta companies, raising serious concerns about user autonomy and market fairness.
In response to the order a Meta spokesperson said “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. We also ensured no one would have their accounts deleted or lose functionality of the WhatsApp service because of this update.”
The 2021 Privacy Policy required users to accept expanded data collection and mandatory sharing with Meta companies to continue using WhatsApp, removing the opt-out option available under the 2016 policy. The CCI ruled this “take-it-or-leave-it” approach as an unfair condition, constituting a violation of Section 4(2)(a)(i) of the Competition Act, 2002.
“The update was about introducing optional business features on WhatsApp, and provided further transparency about how we collect and use data. And since that time, WhatsApp has been incredibly valuable to people and businesses, enabling organizations and government institutions to deliver citizen services through COVID and beyond, and as well as supporting small businesses, all of which furthers the Indian economy. WhatsApp is able to do all of this because it offers services supported by Meta,” the spokesperson added.
“We are committed to finding a path forward that allows us to continue providing the experiences that people and businesses have come to expect from us,” Meta said.