Earlier, WhatsApp and Meta had moved the apex court against the NCLAT order upholding the Competition Commission of India’s ₹213.14 crore penalty on Meta for abuse of dominance under competition laws. File.
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The Supreme Court on Tuesday (February 3, 2026) took objection to the “take-it-or-leave-it” approach of WhatsApp’s privacy policy of 2021.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant orally observed that consumers are forced to share private data. “How can you play with the privacy of consumers. The language of your ‘opt-out’ clause is complicated. How can you expect a person from rural Tamil Nadu to understand it. There is no question of sharing data,” the CJI said.
The court gave Meta/WhatsApp time to file a detailed response and scheduled the case for next Monday (February 9).
Earlier, WhatsApp and Meta had moved the apex court against the NCLAT order upholding the Competition Commission of India’s ₹213.14 crore penalty on Meta for abuse of dominance under competition laws.
Published – February 03, 2026 12:12 pm IST