CCI fines Meta Rs 213 crore over WhatsApp’s 2021 privacy policy update: Told to take these “behavioural remedies” within a defined timeline

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) imposed a ₹213.14 crore ($25.6 million) penalty on Meta Platforms and ordered WhatsApp to implement specific behavioural remedies within a defined timeline, including a five-year ban on sharing user data with other Meta companies for advertising purposes.
The antitrust watchdog ruled that WhatsApp’s mandatory data-sharing policy constituted an abuse of its dominant market position. “The 2021 policy update by WhatsApp on a ‘take-it-or-leave-it’ basis constitutes an imposition of unfair condition under the Act, as it compels all users to accept expanded data collection terms and sharing of data within Meta Group without any opt out,” the Commission stated.