Popular texting platform WhatsApp was ordered by Indian regulators to stop sharing user data with other Meta units.
The company was accused of violating its antitrust policies for years to circulate more ads and therefore was also imposed a fine for the behavior.
The Indian Competition Commission explained how an investigation carried out in 2021 proved that its ‘take it or leave it’ privacy changes were disguising Meta’s dominance. They were forcing users to take on expanded data without any option for opting out.
The platform’s privacy policy forced users to share data with the organization to continue using the service. This meant no option for opting out existed since the start of 2016. This mandatory clause meant an expansion for collecting data and processing by Meta’s other units.
Meta was found to abuse its dominance in two key sectors, the investigation showed. This included an over-the-top feature for messaging and also an online display for ads. It was concluded in that investigation that such practices created a barrier for rivals. This caused a denial of access by other market leaders.
Additionally, a list of changes was put in Meta’s direction as a new mandate. This is separate from the monetary fee added. As a result, Whatsapp needs to provide users with a better explanation of which material is getting shared with Meta’s firms and what the use would be. Similarly, all users must get opt-out options via in-app alerts and also as options on the settings menu.
All changes would be up for grabs to new and old users who accepted the privacy update from 2021. This latest ruling is the newest regulatory obstacle for Facebook’s parent firm in Southeast Asia. Remember, WhatsApp has nearly 450 million MAU so this does make sense and is bound to impact the company as a whole.
Image: DIW
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The company was accused of violating its antitrust policies for years to circulate more ads and therefore was also imposed a fine for the behavior.
The Indian Competition Commission explained how an investigation carried out in 2021 proved that its ‘take it or leave it’ privacy changes were disguising Meta’s dominance. They were forcing users to take on expanded data without any option for opting out.
The platform’s privacy policy forced users to share data with the organization to continue using the service. This meant no option for opting out existed since the start of 2016. This mandatory clause meant an expansion for collecting data and processing by Meta’s other units.
Meta was found to abuse its dominance in two key sectors, the investigation showed. This included an over-the-top feature for messaging and also an online display for ads. It was concluded in that investigation that such practices created a barrier for rivals. This caused a denial of access by other market leaders.
Additionally, a list of changes was put in Meta’s direction as a new mandate. This is separate from the monetary fee added. As a result, Whatsapp needs to provide users with a better explanation of which material is getting shared with Meta’s firms and what the use would be. Similarly, all users must get opt-out options via in-app alerts and also as options on the settings menu.
All changes would be up for grabs to new and old users who accepted the privacy update from 2021. This latest ruling is the newest regulatory obstacle for Facebook’s parent firm in Southeast Asia. Remember, WhatsApp has nearly 450 million MAU so this does make sense and is bound to impact the company as a whole.
Read next: Instagram Surprises Users With New Upcoming Feature That Resets Algorithmic Suggestions
