WhatsApp’s privacy policy: Why CCI fined Meta Rs 213 cr and what it means for users

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Monday, November 18, concluded its investigation of WhatsApp’s 2021 privacy policy update, imposing a fine of Rs 213.14 crore on the Meta-owned messaging giant and ordering it to implement certain behavioural changes within the next three months.

In a 156-page ruling, India’s competition watchdog held that WhatsApp abused its dominance of the over-the-top (OTT) messaging market to impose unfair terms on users. The probe focused on how WhatsApp’s privacy policy update was implemented, leading to the mandatory sharing of user data with other platforms owned by Meta such as Facebook and Instagram.