Meta to Appeal Rs 213-Cr Penalty Imposed by CCI Over WhatsApp Privacy Policy
19 Nov 2024 11:19 AM IST
Meta has announced its intention to appeal the Rs 213.14 crore penalty imposed by the Competition Commission of India. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
Meta has announced its intention to appeal the Rs 213.14 crore penalty imposed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Monday, following the company's handling of WhatsApp's 2021 Privacy Policy update. The antitrust body found that Meta's actions violated fair competition norms, particularly regarding the collection and sharing of user data across its platforms.
The CCI's ruling is centered around the manner in which WhatsApp's updated privacy policy allowed for user data to be shared with other Meta-owned companies, allegedly abusing Meta's dominant market position. In addition to the hefty fine, the Commission has issued several directives to Meta and WhatsApp, mandating that they implement behavioural remedies within a specified timeline.
One of the key directives is that WhatsApp must stop sharing user data with Meta companies for advertising purposes for the next five years. After this period, users will be given the option to opt out of non-service-related data sharing. Furthermore, WhatsApp has been instructed to clearly outline the data being shared, its purpose, and how it will be used by Meta.
The ruling is seen as a significant blow to WhatsApp, which has its largest user base in India, with over 500 million users. Attempts to get comments from Meta on the issue were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
The fine and directives mark a major step in India’s efforts to regulate Big Tech companies, particularly in relation to user privacy and data sharing practices.
The CCI's ruling is centered around the manner in which WhatsApp's updated privacy policy allowed for user data to be shared with other Meta-owned companies, allegedly abusing Meta's dominant market position. In addition to the hefty fine, the Commission has issued several directives to Meta and WhatsApp, mandating that they implement behavioural remedies within a specified timeline.
One of the key directives is that WhatsApp must stop sharing user data with Meta companies for advertising purposes for the next five years. After this period, users will be given the option to opt out of non-service-related data sharing. Furthermore, WhatsApp has been instructed to clearly outline the data being shared, its purpose, and how it will be used by Meta.
The ruling is seen as a significant blow to WhatsApp, which has its largest user base in India, with over 500 million users. Attempts to get comments from Meta on the issue were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
The fine and directives mark a major step in India’s efforts to regulate Big Tech companies, particularly in relation to user privacy and data sharing practices.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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