Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has fined Meta ₹231 crore, pushing WhatsApp to implement significant changes to its app interface and privacy controls for Indian users. With over 500 million users in the country, WhatsApp will now provide in-app notifications allowing users to opt out of data sharing with Meta’s platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram.
The directive includes a new tab in WhatsApp settings to let users review and modify data-sharing preferences. This is part of CCI’s order prohibiting WhatsApp from sharing user data with Meta companies for five years and affects both new users and those who accepted the 2021 privacy policy update.
Users will now receive detailed explanations about what data is shared and why, ensuring greater transparency. WhatsApp must also link specific types of collected data to their intended purposes within the app.
“The interface modifications represent a significant shift in how WhatsApp handles user privacy in India,” stated a CCI spokesperson, emphasizing the importance of giving users more control over their data.
Meta has yet to announce how these changes will be implemented, but it must comply within a regulator-defined timeline.
