WhatsApp: WhatsApp gave this big update on data sharing in SC, Meta will follow CCI's instructions..

The long-standing controversy surrounding the privacy policy of instant messaging platform WhatsApp has once again come before the Supreme Court. WhatsApp has assured the Supreme Court that sharing user data with Meta is not correct and that the company will comply with the CCI's (Competition Commission of India) directives in this matter.

Appearing before a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Kapil Sibal, senior counsel for WhatsApp and parent company Meta, stated that its technology is very clean and places a premium on privacy. Sibal stated that there is no question of violating the law.

The company stated that all necessary changes will be implemented by March 16th. This information provided by the company has brought the issue back into the spotlight, as it impacts the data security and privacy of millions of users. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing WhatsApp, informed the court that the company would comply with the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal's (NCLAT) modified directives in its December 2025 decision. It should be recalled that Meta had been directed to implement the regulator's safeguards within three months.

Sibal informed the court that since the company had now complied with the directives, it could withdraw its appeal challenging those aspects of the order. He also placed on record an affidavit from WhatsApp stating that it had not violated user privacy by sharing data for advertising purposes, as alleged by the regulator.

How did the dispute begin?
The matter relates to WhatsApp's 2021 privacy policy update, which allowed Meta to share user data, including phone numbers, device information, and interactions with business accounts, with companies. Described by critics as a take-it-or-leave-it policy, the update raised significant concerns about privacy and competition, leading to the CCI taking action.

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