Meta might pause, roll back WhatsApp features after CCI fine

As per CCI, Meta was abusing its dominance and had "coerced" WhatsApp users into accepting a 2021 privacy policy

by e4m Staff
Published: Jan 16, 2025 12:18 PM | 2 min read

After it was slapped on the wrist with a 24.5 million USD fine by the CCI (Completion Commission of India) in November of last year, new reports suggest that Meta, the US tech and social media giant, is increasingly concerned about the antitrust stance being taken by authorities in India.

India is Meta's biggest market in the world for its flagship Facebook and WhatsApp products, with over 350 million and 500 million users each. The CCI found that Meta was abusing its dominance and had "coerced" WhatsApp users into accepting a 2021 privacy policy, which allegedly expanded user data collection and sharing, giving the giant an unfair advantage over smaller rivals.

Now, Meta has said that this directive may cause it to pause or roll back certain features on WhatsApp, in India as a result of the fine and directive.

According to reports, while addressing the ruling's impact for the first time in a filing dated to early January, Meta said the data sharing ban could turn out to mean that an Indian fashion business will not be able to personalize ads on its Facebook or Instagram platforms, based on their interaction with a WhatsApp user around a specific clothing line.

This filing is reflective of a larger trend taking place around the world as governments take on big tech companies over the issues of data and user privacy and practices, and will set the tone for the future of social media and platform-user relationships.