WhatsApp, Facebook petition against CCI probe order in Delhi High Court

Both Facebook and WhatsApp filed the petitions separately but it was almost the same and they contend that cases on WhatsApp’s privacy policy update are already being heard in the Supreme Court and therefore, CCI should be restricted from any probe until those cases are resolved.

New Delhi: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) had on March 24 directed an investigation against WhatsApp over the much controversial update of its privacy policy.

Meanwhile, according to the CII order document accessed by tech website Inc42, the anti-trust body has said that "the probe needs to be completed in 60 days."

“Today’s consumers value non-price parameters of services viz. quality, customer service, innovation, etc. as equally if not more important as the price. The competitors in the market also compete on the basis of such non-price parameters. Reduction in consumer data protection and loss of control over their personalised data by the users can be taken as a reduction in quality under the antitrust law,” said the CCI order in late March, the INC42.com report said.

Notably, WhatsApp had asked users to either give their consent to sharing data with Facebook or lose their accounts after February 8. The policy was, however, put on hold till May 15 due to a massive backlash by the users.

(Disclaimer: The article first appeared on Inc42)