In a major blow to WhatsApp, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has slapped a penalty of INR 213.14 Cr on its parent Meta.

Meta has expressed disagreement with the CCI's ₹213 crore fine over WhatsApp's privacy policy, citing concerns about data-sharing terms.

Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, has expressed its disagreement with the recent ruling by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) and announced plans to appeal. The decision, which penalised Meta Rs 213.14 crore, revolves around WhatsApp’s controversial 2021 privacy policy update.

The Competition Commission of India has accused Meta-owned WhatsApp of abusing its dominant market position in its 2021 privacy update. Here's all you need to know

The CCI has also forbidden WhatsApp from making user data sharing with Meta companies a precondition for accessing WhatsApp services in India.

In January 2021, WhatsApp had notified users that it was updating its privacy policy – which was mandatory for them to accept – with an expanded scope of data collection and data sharing between Meta companies.

India's Competition Commission (CCI) has fined Meta INR 213.14 crore for abusing its market dominance through WhatsApp's 2021 privacy policy update

The investigation revealed that WhatsApp compelled users to share data with Meta’s family of companies, including Facebook and Instagram, without offering an opt-out option.

Meta Platforms said on Tuesday it plans to appeal an order by India's competition watchdog that restricts the U.S. tech firm from sharing data for advertising between WhatsApp and its other applications and also imposed a $25.

Meta defends WhatsApp's privacy policy update. The spokesperson clarified that the 2021 update didn't change the privacy of people's personal messages. They stressed it was pitche