Petition of Meta, WhatsApp against CCI’s fine of Rs 213.14 crore accepted

New Delhi| Appellate tribunal NCLAT accepted the petitions of Meta Platforms and WhatsApp against the order of fair trade regulator CCI. CCI had imposed a fine of Rs 213.14 crore for abuse of market dominance. After hearing preliminary arguments from Meta and CCI on the issue, a two-member bench of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) said the issue needed to be considered.

The NCLAT bench said, “We believe that the arguments presented by the parties need to be considered”. We accept both appeals.” The bench also included its chairman Justice Ashok Bhushan. However, regarding the interim relief to stay the CCI order, NCLAT said it will take a decision next week.

During the proceedings, counsel appearing for WhatsApp and Meta Platforms requested the appellate tribunal to stay the CCI order. However, the lawyer appearing for the Competition Commission of India opposed this. On 18 November, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) had fined social media major Meta Rs 213.14 crore for unfair business practices in relation to WhatsApp privacy policy updates made in 2021. In addition, the competition regulator 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 stipulated time frame to address anti-competitive issues.