India's Antimonopoly Office imposed a fine on WhatsApp worth $ 25.4 million

India's antitrust authority imposed a fine on whatsApp worth $ 25.4 million and forbade users to share users with other META applications for advertising purposes over the next five years. This decision was the result of the violation of the antitrust law of India, which was discovered in connection with the policy of the confidentiality of whatsApp 2021.

According to Reuters, the CCI competition commission (CCI) launched an investigation after whatsApp in 2021 changed its privacy policy, which allowed users to share users between WhatsApp and Facebook, as well as other META units. This caused a wave of criticism and questions about the violation of the privacy of users, which, in turn, led to a response from the regulatory bodies.

In 2021, India became one of the first countries to actively investigate such issues, paying attention to potential threats to the privacy of user data and market competition. WhatsApp has faced serious difficulties because of the accusation that the new policy could not only violate users' rights, but also create unequal conditions for competitors in the digital market.

This is not the only regulatory test for technological giants. At the same time, India continues to work to improve its antitrust law. The Ministry of Corporate Relations has already presented the February Report of the Expert Group, which proposes a new "Dnipulatory Competition Bill". This bill should supplement existing rules and create additional regulations for large technological companies, such as Meta, Google and Apple, in particular to ensure fair competition in the digital field.

The American-Indian Business Council, which is an important lobbyist for business interests in India, has already criticized these changes, expressing anxiety about their impact on business and investment climate. According to them, such initiatives can have serious consequences for companies operating in India markets and other countries that use similar antitrust measures.

In the context of this situation, India continues to actively fight for consumer protection, as well as for ensuring transparency and fair competition in digital markets. Other countries are expected to strengthen technological companies in the future, focusing on India and Europe's experience.