CCI fined Meta ₹213.14 crore, halting WhatsApp's user data sharing with Meta entities over anti-competitive practices.

NCLAT chairperson Ashok Bhushan stayed the 5-year moratorium on data sharing but said that WhatsApp will have to pay the 50% of the penalty within two weeks

The NCLAT bench, led by Justice Ashok Bhushan, said such a ban could disrupt WhatsApp's business model in the country. WhatsApp has more than 500 million monthly active users in India.

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on Thursday stayed part of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) order in the WhatsApp case. The Tribunal has stayed CCI’s direction that WhatsApp will not share user data with Meta for ad reasons for five years.

Meta had challenged the Competition Commission of India’s (CCI) directive issued in November 2024, which imposed a ban on data sharing between WhatsApp and other Meta entities for advertising purposes,

It also stayed the penalty of Rs 213.14 crore that was imposed by CCI as part of its order, but directed WhatsApp to deposit 50% of it within two weeks

WhatsApp: "We welcome the NCLAT's decision to grant a partial stay on the Competition Commission of India's (CCI) order," said Meta spokesperson in a statement, shared with IANS.

The NCLAT has stayed a five-year ban imposed by CCI on data-sharing between WhatsApp and Meta for advertising purposes, offering a breather to the tech giant. The tribunal observed that the ban may lead to the collapse of WhatsApp's business model.

India's National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has temporarily lifted a five-year ban that barred WhatsApp from sharing user data with its parent company Meta. The decision comes as a major win for Mark Zuckerberg 's social media giant in its biggest market.

In a brief reprieve for Meta Platforms, India's National firm Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) lifted a five-year prohibition on data