Meta to appeal Competition Commission’s decision, fine of 213.14 crore imposed
New Delhi| Meta will protest against the decision of the Competition Commission to impose fines and sanctions of Rs 213 crore. On Tuesday, the company said it disagrees with the decision and plans to appeal it. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Monday fined social media major Meta Rs 213.14 crore for unfair business practices in connection with WhatsApp’s privacy policy update in 2021.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Monday asked WhatsApp to refrain from sharing user data with other Meta-owned applications for advertising purposes for a period of five years. India’s competition regulator fined the social media giant Rs 213.14 crore in 2021 for unfair business practices in connection with WhatsApp’s privacy policy update.
In addition, the competition regulator has instructed Meta to cease and desist from anti-competitive activities. As per the CCI order, Meta and WhatsApp have also been asked to implement certain behavioral measures within a certain time-frame to address anti-competitive issues.
Company spokesperson said – Disagree with CCI’s decision
A Meta spokesperson said the company disagrees with CCI’s decision and plans to appeal. “Remind that the 2021 update did not alter the privacy of people’s personal messages and was offered as an option for users at the time”, a Meta spokesperson said. We also ensured that no one’s account was deleted or lost the functionality of the WhatsApp service due to this update
Meta further said that this update is about introducing alternative business features on WhatsApp, and provides more transparency about data collection and usage. A Meta spokesperson said that since that time, WhatsApp has been incredibly valuable to people and businesses, enabling organizations and government institutions to provide civic services even after Covid and also to grow India’s economy. Has also supported small businesses.
“WhatsApp is capable of doing all this because it provides services supported by Meta”, a Meta spokesperson said. We are committed to finding a way forward that will enable us to continue to provide people and businesses with the experiences they expect from us”
Meanwhile, CCI has banned WhatsApp from sharing data collected on its platform with other Meta companies or Meta Company products for advertising purposes for five years. On sharing WhatsApp user data for purposes other than advertising, the regulator said WhatsApp’s policy should include a detailed description of user data shared with other Meta companies or Meta Company products. “This explanation should clarify the purpose of data sharing and link each type of data to its corresponding purpose”, it said
The regulator also said that sharing user data collected on WhatsApp with other Meta companies or Meta Company products for purposes other than providing WhatsApp services will not be a condition for users to use the WhatsApp service in India.
On sharing WhatsApp user data for purposes other than providing WhatsApp services, the CCI said that all users in India (including those who accept the 2021 update) will be provided with the option to manage such data sharing through opt-out option prominently through in-app notification
