The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Monday asked WhatsApp to refrain from sharing user data with other applications, owned by Meta, for advertising purposes for a period of five years.

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.

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.

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.

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 faces a ₹213-crore penalty from India’s Competition Commission over WhatsApp’s 2021 privacy policy update. The tech giant plans to appeal, claiming the policy was fair and preserved user choice.

In a major setback for Meta, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has slapped a fine of ₹213.14 crore on the company over its 2021 WhatsApp privacy policy update. The CCI accused Meta of anti-competitive practices and unfair methods related to user data sharing.

The Competition Commission of India ordered WhatsApp not to share user data collected on its platform with other Meta companies or products for advertising purposes for five years.

Meta is set to challenge a ₹213.14 crore fine imposed by the CCI over its WhatsApp privacy policy update. The company argues the policy was optional and transparent, opposing claims of anti-competitive practices.