Indian tribunal lifts WhatsApp data-sharing ban but upholds fine

A five-year ban on WhatsApp was lifted recently, when an Indian appeals tribunal overturned the decision that had barred WhatsApp from sharing user data with other Meta companies for advertising. The same decision also upheld a related US$25.4 million fine tied to the policy that triggered the dispute. 

The tribunal found that Meta imposed unfair conditions on users in its 2021 privacy policy update and took advantage of its leading market position. WhatsApp’s policy forced users to accept broader data sharing or risk losing access to the service. Still, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) found that the Competition Commission of India’s (CCI) ban did not demonstrate a sufficient rationale.