Supreme Court to Hear Meta, WhatsApp Appeals on Privacy Penalty and Data Sharing Compliance

The Supreme Court of India is hearing appeals by Meta and WhatsApp challenging a Rs 213.14 crore penalty imposed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) over WhatsApp's 2021 privacy policy, which mandated compulsory data sharing with Meta. WhatsApp has agreed to comply with CCI and National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) directions by March 16, implementing user-consent frameworks for data sharing, including advertising-related data. The court expressed concerns about privacy rights and the impact on users, while WhatsApp emphasized its commitment to privacy and cautioned against a blanket data-sharing ban that could affect small businesses. The main appeal on the policy's validity remains pending, with the court seeking compliance reports and further hearings scheduled.