Meta challenges India’s data-sharing ban and $25 million fine

Zuckerberg's Meta is not ready to abide fully by India's latest watchdog rulings. Meta will most likely appeal an order from the world's most populated country that has to do with WhatsApp.

Reuters reports that Meta announces plans to appeal an order from India's competition watchdog, which imposed restrictions on the company's ability to share user data for advertising purposes between WhatsApp and Meta's other apps.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) also fined Meta $25.4 million. This sounds like a substantial sum, but I can assure you that's literally pocket change for the digital mammoth.

The ruling (made on Monday) mandates a five-year ban on sharing WhatsApp user data with other Meta-owned platforms for advertising.

The CCI's investigation into WhatsApp's 2021 privacy policy began in March 2021. This policy allowed data sharing between WhatsApp and other Meta platforms like Facebook, which sparked global backlash. The CCI's order emphasized that sharing user data with other Meta companies for advertising purposes should not be required for users to access WhatsApp services in India.

Per the report, Meta responded by saying that the 2021 update did not affect the privacy of users' personal messages and assured that users would not lose access to WhatsApp or face account deletions because of the update.

The ruling comes amid growing regulatory scrutiny on tech giants, including Apple, Google, and Meta, under India's proposed antitrust laws. A panel established by India's corporate affairs ministry has suggested a new "Digital Competition Bill" to complement existing laws, which could have a significant impact on businesses. The US-India Business Council has already expressed concerns about the potential consequences of these regulatory changes.