# India Hits Meta with $25M Fine Over WhatsApp Privacy Breach! 📱

**URL:** <https://onehack.st/t/india-hits-meta-with-25m-fine-over-whatsapp-privacy-breach/296021>\
**Category:** News & Articles\
**Tags:** privacy, business, data-recovery\
**Created:** [November 19, 2024, 4:15pm UTC](https://onehack.st/t/india-hits-meta-with-25m-fine-over-whatsapp-privacy-breach/296021 "2024-11-19T16:15:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![TheJoker](https://onehack.st/user_avatar/onehack.st/thejoker/32/22660_2.png) [@TheJoker](https://onehack.st/u/TheJoker)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2024, 4:15pm UTC](https://onehack.st/t/india-hits-meta-with-25m-fine-over-whatsapp-privacy-breach/296021/1 "2024-11-19T16:15:30Z")

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**Summary:**

1. **Major Penalty for Meta**  
India’s **Competition Commission** fined Meta **$25.4 million** , citing antitrust violations tied to WhatsApp’s **2021 privacy policy** update.

2. **Ban on Data Sharing**  
WhatsApp has been ordered to **stop sharing user data** with other Meta units for advertising purposes for the next **five years**.

3. **Abuse of Dominance**  
The **“take-it-or-leave-it” policy** forced users to accept expanded data sharing without an opt-out option, deemed an abuse of Meta’s market dominance.

4. **Policy Backlash**  
The 2021 update eliminated the earlier **opt-out option** available since 2016, broadening Meta’s data collection scope and raising privacy concerns.

5. **Regulatory Crackdown**  
This action signals India’s increasing focus on **digital rights** and curbing **anti-competitive practices** in the tech sector.

**Read more at:** [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2024/11/18/india-fines-meta-25-4-million-over-whatsapp-privacy-policy/)