SC to hear Meta, WhatsApp pleas against Rs 213 Cr privacy penalty

The Supreme Court will hear on Monday the pleas of Meta Platforms Inc and WhatsApp challenging a Rs 213.14 crore CCI penalty over their privacy policy and data-sharing practices. The bench, headed by CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi , had earlier slammed the companies for allegedly violating citizens’ right to privacy and creating a market monopoly .

The judges highlighted “ silent customers ” users digitally dependent and unaware of privacy implications saying, “ We will not allow the rights of any citizen of this country to be damaged. ” WhatsApp had challenged CCI’s order penalising its 2021 privacy update, which allowed data sharing with Meta.

On November 4, 2025, the NCLAT partially overturned CCI’s ban on data sharing for advertising, but upheld the Rs 213-crore penalty . The ruling applies to both advertising and non-advertising data use. The Supreme Court has directed the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) to join the proceedings and will hear the CCI’s cross-appeal against continued data sharing for advertising.

Experts say the case is significant for big tech regulation in India , data privacy rights , and user consent , with potential impact on advertising business models reliant on cross-platform data. It also underscores the CCI’s role in competition oversight and the relevance of emerging data protection laws in curbing abuse of market dominance.

The verdict is expected to set a crucial precedent for protecting user privacy while regulating digital platforms and addressing market concentration by global tech companies in India.