SC Warns Meta, WhatsApp: No Exploitation of Indians' Privacy on Data Use

• The Supreme Court issued a strong warning to Meta and WhatsApp regarding their data-sharing practices, stating it would not permit exploitation of Indians' personal information.
• The warning came during appeals challenging a Rs 213.14 crore penalty imposed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for WhatsApp's 2021 privacy policy.
• Chief Justice Surya Kant emphasized that WhatsApp created a monopoly, forcing users into a 'take-it-or-leave-it' framework for data sharing, calling it a 'decent way of committing theft of private information'.
• The Court flagged concerns over data monetization and ad targeting, with Solicitor General Tushar Mehta stating personal data was 'commercially exploited'.
• Meta agreed to file an affidavit explaining its data-handling practices, and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology was added as a party to the proceedings.

Why It Matters: Supreme Court firmly warns Meta and WhatsApp against exploiting Indian users' privacy through data-sharing practices.