New Delhi.A major development has come to light in the country’s top court (Supreme Court of India) in an important case related to data privacy and competition law. Global technology company (Meta Platforms) and its messaging platform (WhatsApp) on Monday told a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant that they will comply with the directions of the appellate tribunal and are withdrawing their petition filed against it.
The bench also included Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul M Pancholi. The court was hearing appeals filed against the order of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal in December 2025. This order was also related to applying the privacy and consent related standards set by the Competition Commission of India to data related to advertising.
At the heart of the matter is the issue of sharing users’ data for advertising purposes. The Competition Commission of India had imposed a fine of Rs 213.14 crore on WhatsApp over its privacy policy and gave strict instructions on data sharing practices. Later the appellate forum gave some relief but upheld the fine.
During the hearing, senior advocate Kapil Sibal told the court on behalf of WhatsApp that the companies will implement the tribunal’s directions by March 16. The Chief Justice clarified that the petitions seeking adjournment wanted to stay the portion which sought compliance with CCI directions. Following the change in the stand of the companies, the bench rejected the stay petitions and asked them to file compliance reports. However, the court also clarified that the move will have no impact on the legal issues raised in the main appeal.
Earlier, the apex court had made strong remarks on the issue of data sharing and had said that the right to privacy of citizens cannot be played with in the name of data sharing. This comment of the court is considered important on the balance of digital platforms and consumer rights.
In November 2025, the appellate forum had quashed part of the CCI order that had barred WhatsApp from sharing advertising data with Meta for five years. However, the fine of Rs 213 crore was retained, which was a big blow to the companies.
Now WhatsApp saying that it will withdraw the application and follow the instructions has indicated that the company currently wants to move away from the path of confrontation and move towards compliance. This important issue of digital data privacy and competition law is being watched across the country because it can impact millions of users and the policies of tech companies.
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