India’s competition watchdog has ordered WhatsApp to stop sharing user data for advertising purposes with other Meta-owned apps for a five-year period. The U.S. tech giant has also been fined $25.4 million for antitrust violations related to WhatsApp’s privacy policy in 2021.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) began investigating WhatsApp’s privacy policy in March 2021, which allowed data sharing with Facebook and its subsidiaries, leading to widespread criticism.
The CCI stated, “Sharing user data collected on WhatsApp with other Meta companies for purposes other than providing WhatsApp service should not be a requirement for users to use WhatsApp in India.”
Meta has not yet responded to Reuters’ request for comment.
Major tech companies like Apple, Google, and Meta are facing new regulatory hurdles with India’s proposed antitrust law similar to the EU’s regulations.
The Indian government is currently reviewing a report from a panel set up by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs in February. The report suggested a new “Digital Competition Bill” to complement existing antitrust laws.
The U.S.-India Business Council, a prominent U.S. lobbying group, has already expressed concerns about the potential impact on business.
(This story has not been altered by NDTV staff, except for the title, and is sourced from a syndicated feed.)
