Supreme Court to Hear Meta and WhatsApp Appeal Against Privacy Policy Penalty

The Supreme Court on Monday pushed to February 23 the hearing of pleas by Meta Platforms Inc and WhatsApp against a hefty penalty imposed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI). The Rs 213.14 crore penalty addresses concerns over privacy policy and data sharing practices by these tech giants.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, alongside Justices Joymalya Bagchi and N V Anjaria, postponed the hearing, in response to senior advocate Kapil Sibal’s absence due to illness. The bench plans to issue an interim order within two weeks and included another litigant, represented by Arvind Datar, into the case.

Earlier, on February 3, the bench criticized Meta and WhatsApp, warning against infringing citizens' right to privacy under the guise of data sharing and expressed concerns about market monopoly and data misappropriation. The court underlined the importance of safeguarding citizens' rights in the face of evolving digital dependencies and privacy implications.