India’s competition regulator has ordered WhatsApp to cease sharing data for advertising purposes with other Meta-owned applications for five years and fined the US tech giant US$24.5 million for antitrust violations.
Reuters reported that the violation pertains to WhatsApp’s 2021 privacy policy, which enabled data sharing with Meta units such as Facebook and Instagram, sparking backlash at the time.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) stated: “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.”
Technology giants are facing increased scrutiny as India considers introducing an EU-style antitrust law. The Indian government is currently reviewing a report from a panel established by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, which recommends the introduction of a “Digital Competition Bill” to strengthen the country’s existing antitrust framework.
