GUWAHATI: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) is reportedly preparing to issue an order penalising WhatsApp for violating competition laws related to its controversial 2021 privacy policy update.
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According to reports, the update allowed WhatsApp to share certain user data with its parent company, Meta Platforms Inc. (formerly Facebook Inc.), thereby sparking concerns among global regulators, including those in India.
Launching an investigation into the matter, the CCI suspected that WhatsApp's policy change could result in anti-competitive practices. The Director General (DG) of Investigation at the CCI also concluded that WhatsApp and Meta violated provisions of competition law which focuses on reducing the abuse of market dominance.
The DG’s findings have reportedly been submitted to the CCI, which is now in the process of finalising an order that is expected to impose a penalty on the companies.
This development marks another chapter in the global scrutiny of Meta’s data-sharing practices.
