Meta to challenge CCI penalty of Rs 213 crore over WhatsApp policy
Meta said WhatsApp had proved valuable to people and businesses and helped govt bodies to deliver services to citizens through the Covid pandemic and beyond
American technology conglomerate Meta has said it will appeal against the ₹213 crore fine imposed on it by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) over the WhatsApp privacy policy.
The CCI on Monday (November 18) asked WhatsApp to refrain from sharing user data with other applications owned by Meta for advertising purposes for five years.
CCI fines Meta
The competition watchdog imposed a penalty of ₹213.14 crore on the social media giant for unfair business ways with respect to the WhatsApp privacy policy update done in 2021.
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A Meta spokesperson said the company disagrees with the CCI decision and plans to appeal.
Meta defends itself
"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 spokesperson said.
The CCI also told Meta to cease and desist from anti-competitive practices.
Enforce behavioural remedies
Meta and WhatsApp have also been asked to implement some behavioural remedies within a defined timeline to address the anti-competition issues.
It said the 2021 update was about introducing optional business features on WhatsApp.
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The Meta spokesperson said WhatsApp had proved incredibly valuable to people and businesses and helped government institutions to also deliver services to citizens through the Covid pandemic and beyond.
No sharing of data
"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.”
Meanwhile, CCI has barred WhatsApp from sharing data collected on its platform with other Meta companies or Meta company products for advertising purposes for five years.
Other CCI conditions
On sharing WhatsApp user data for purposes other than advertising, the CCI said WhatsApp's policy should include a detailed explanation of the user data shared with other Meta companies or Meta company products.
It said that sharing of user data collected on WhatsApp with other Meta companies or Meta company products for purposes other than for providing WhatsApp services shall not be made a condition for users to access WhatsApp Service in India.
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CCI said all users in India (including users who have accepted the 2021 update) will be provided with the choice to manage such data sharing by way of an opt-out option prominently through an in-app notification.
