The Competition Commission of India has accused Meta-owned WhatsApp of abusing its dominant market position in its 2021 privacy update. Here's all you need to know

India's Competition Commission (CCI) has fined Meta INR 213.14 crore for abusing its market dominance through WhatsApp's 2021 privacy policy update

The CCI has also forbidden WhatsApp from making user data sharing with Meta companies a precondition for accessing WhatsApp services in India.

According to the CCI order, “The 2021 policy update by WhatsApp on a ‘take it-or-leave-it’ basis constitutes an imposition of unfair conditions 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 investigation revealed that WhatsApp compelled users to share data with Meta’s family of companies, including Facebook and Instagram, without offering an opt-out option.

India's Competition Commission has ordered WhatsApp to stop sharing user data with other Meta apps for five years.

Meta defends WhatsApp's privacy policy update. The spokesperson clarified that the 2021 update didn't change the privacy of people's personal messages. They stressed it was pitche

Meta faces a Rs. 213 crore penalty by the Competition Commission of India for exploiting its dominant position with WhatsApp's 2021 Privacy Policy. The CCI demands behavioral remedies and prohibits user data sharing for advertising for five years,

The Competition Commission of India ordered WhatsApp not to share user data collected on its platform with other Meta companies or products for advertising purposes for five years.

India's competition watchdog directed WhatsApp to refrain from sharing user data for advertising purposes with other applications owned by Meta for a period of five years and fined the U.S. tech giant $25.