Meta has announced plans to challenge a ₹213.14-crore penalty imposed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for alleged anti-competitive practices linked to WhatsApp’s 2021 privacy policy update, according to a news story.

The CCI ruled that the update allowed WhatsApp to share user data with Meta-owned applications for advertising, which it deemed anti-competitive. Consequently, the regulator has prohibited WhatsApp from sharing such data for five years and directed Meta to address these concerns.

The CCI has mandated that WhatsApp introduce an opt-out option for users in India, including those who accepted the 2021 update. This feature, to be highlighted through in-app notifications, will enable users to refuse data sharing with Meta entities for purposes unrelated to WhatsApp.

Additionally, the CCI has barred WhatsApp from using shared user data for advertising and demanded full transparency in any data sharing for other purposes. WhatsApp must now provide detailed disclosures in its policy, explaining what data is shared, with whom, and for what purpose. The CCI further ruled that using WhatsApp in India should not require data sharing unrelated to the app’s core services.

Meta, however, has expressed disagreement with the CCI’s findings. A spokesperson stated that the 2021 policy was optional and did not affect the privacy of users’ personal messages. They emphasized that no user faced penalties, such as account suspension, for declining the update.

Meta clarified that the policy aimed to introduce optional business features and improve transparency around data usage, arguing that the CCI’s concerns are misplaced.