The Supreme Court of India gears up for Monday’s crucial session on appeals by Meta Platforms and WhatsApp against a 213.14 crore penalty from the CCI over privacy policy infringements. This marks a key chapter in the ongoing tussle between regulators and tech behemoths on data dominance.
Justice Suryakant’s bench, including Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, will preside. Back on February 3, they issued a stern warning: platforms must not undermine privacy rights via data sharing pretexts, labeling it monopolistic abuse.
WhatsApp’s policy update sparked outrage for potentially funneling user data to Meta, drawing CCI’s ire. The court spotlighted ‘silent customers’—those digitally reliant yet uninformed about data risks—emphasizing zero tolerance for rights erosion.
CCI slapped the fine for alleged breaches. NCLAT’s November 4 decision quashed the five-year ad-data sharing ban but kept the penalty, applying consent rules universally across data activities.
The apex court had slated interim relief for February 9 and involved the Electronics Ministry. The agenda now includes CCI’s cross-petition opposing NCLAT’s ad-data allowance.
This litigation reflects India’s push for robust competition and privacy frameworks. A final judgment could influence future Big Tech compliance, user trust, and the digital marketplace’s evolution.