Meta, WhatsApp win relief from India tribunal

An Indian tribunal has temporarily suspended a five-year ban on data sharing between WhatsApp and owner Meta Platforms.

The lifting of ban is a major relief for the US giant which had warned its advertising business will be affected.

In November last, the Meta had challenged the Competition Commission of India’s (CCI) directive, which imposed a ban on data sharing between WhatsApp and other Meta entities for advertising purposes. It warned it may have to roll back some features.

Meta also slammed the CCI for lack of “technical expertise” to understand the ramifications of its order.

India’s National Company Law Appellate Tribunal, on Thursday, directed a suspension of the data sharing ban. The tribunal will continue to hear Meta’s challenge to the antitrust ruling.

The tribunal noted that the ban “may lead to a collapse” of WhatsApp’s business model.

India has been the biggest market for Meta. It has more than 350 million Facebook users and over 500 million people using WhatsApp.

Earlier, Meta told the tribunal that it may have to “roll back or pause” few features. The features include those that would allow an Indian fashion business, for example, to personalise ads on Facebook or Instagram based on their interaction with a WhatsApp user.