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The Competition Commission of India (CCI) imposed a fine of $25.4 million on the American technology company Meta on 18 November due to antitrust infringements related to WhatsApp's privacy policy update in 2021. The commission mandated that the messaging service cease sharing user data for advertising purposes with other applications owned by Meta for a period of five years. In response to this decision, Meta announced on 19 November its intention to appeal the ruling that restricts the company from sharing advertising data between WhatsApp and its other platforms. The CCI reiterated the imposition of the $25.4 million fine.
"Sharing of user data collected on WhatsApp with other Meta companies for purposes other than for providing WhatsApp service shall not be made a condition for users to access WhatsApp Service in India," the CCI stated on Monday.
In March 2021, the CCI initiated an investigation into the revised privacy policy of WhatsApp, which permitted compulsory data sharing with Facebook (now Meta) and its affiliated businesses, alongside an expanded scope of data collection.
A representative for the company stated: "We disagree with the CCI's decision and plan to appeal."
The spokesman 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."
On Tuesday, the company representative stated that the 2021 update did not affect the privacy of users' private communications. "We also ensured no one would have their accounts deleted or lose functionality of the WhatsApp service because of this update," stated a spokesman.
Before this update, users could decide whether to grant the company access to their data. Currently, there are approximately 500 million active WhatsApp users in the country each month.
About Meta
Meta Platforms, Inc, previously known as Facebook, Inc. and TheFacebook, Inc., is a prominent American multinational technology conglomerate headquartered in Menlo Park, California. The social media company encompasses a range of products and services, including Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp, with advertising contributing to 97.8% of its revenue.
Initially established as the parent company of the Facebook platform, it underwent a rebranding in 2021 to better represent its commitment to developing the metaverse, a cohesive ecosystem that connects its various offerings.
Meta is recognized as one of the largest information technology firms in the United States, standing alongside other major corporations such as Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft. In 2023, it was ranked #31 on the Forbes Global 2000 list. The company also ranked third globally in research and development spending in 2022, with an investment of $35.3 billion in R&D.
Additionally, the company has made several acquisitions, including Oculus, which has been integrated into Reality Labs, as well as Mapillary, CTRL-Labs, and a 9.99% stake in Jio Platforms. The company has also explored non-VR hardware initiatives, such as the now-discontinued Meta Portal smart displays, and has partnered with Luxottica to produce the Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses.