Monday brings Supreme Court scrutiny to Meta and WhatsApp’s challenge against CCI’s 213.14 crore fine for WhatsApp’s privacy policy flaws. The case probes deep into data sharing ethics and competition in India’s tech landscape.
Under Chief Justice Justice Suryakant, with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, the division bench earlier on February 3 condemned data misuse for monopoly gains. They protected ‘silent customers’—everyday users vulnerable to opaque policies.
The penalty arose from CCI findings on policy-driven data transfers to Meta. NCLAT on November 4 nullified the ad-sharing restriction yet upheld the fine, mandating broad privacy compliance.
Anticipating interim measures on February 9, the court enlisted the IT Ministry. Hearings will tackle appeals and CCI’s objection to NCLAT’s stance.
Observers see this as a litmus test for India’s regulatory muscle against global giants, with implications for privacy laws and market fairness.