New Delhi, Jan 6
Social media platform Meta on Monday moved the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), challenging a recent Competition Commission of India (CCI) order imposing a Rs 213 crore penalty on the firm related to WhatsApp's 2021 privacy policy update.
In November last year, the competition watchdog directed WhatsApp to not share user data collected on its platform with other Meta products or companies for advertising purposes for a period of five years, along with imposing a penalty of Rs 213.14 crore on Meta for allegedly abusing its dominant position.
Meta has now informed the NCLAT that the CCI order has wide ramifications for the industry as a whole and therefore, an urgent hearing in the matter will be required.
The case will now come up for a hearing before the appellate tribunal on January 16.
WhatsApp has more than 500 million monthly active users in the country.
Last year, after the CCI directed WhatsApp not to share user data collected on its platform with other Meta products or companies for advertising purposes for a period of five years, the social media platform said it disagreed with the CCI’s decision and planned to appeal.