India’s Top Court Flags WhatsApp Privacy Policy as Potentially Misleading
The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday warned it could reinstate a ban on data sharing between WhatsApp and other entities under Meta, after raising concerns that the messaging platform’s privacy policy may have misled users. During a hearing, Chief Justice Surya Kant questioned the clarity of the policy, reportedly stating that it was “very cleverly designed” and difficult for ordinary users — particularly elderly or rural citizens — to understand.
The case stems from a November 2024 order by India’s antitrust watchdog, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), which fined WhatsApp $25.4 million and prohibited it from sharing user data with other Meta companies for advertising purposes for five years. While an appeals tribunal later lifted the data-sharing restriction, it upheld the monetary penalty, prompting both WhatsApp and the regulator to challenge different aspects of the ruling before the apex court.
WhatsApp said it could not comment as the matter is sub judice. The company has previously argued that restrictions on data sharing could force it to scale back features in India, its largest market by users. The Supreme Court has not issued a final verdict and will continue hearings next week. The dispute echoes similar scrutiny in other regions, including Europe, where Meta previously agreed to present privacy policy changes in clearer, more accessible language following regulatory concerns.
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