UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — WhatsApp tells SC it does not share data with Meta
Q1. Which one of the following is the apex statutory regulator that originally imposed the ₹213.14 crore penalty on Meta in November 2024 in connection with WhatsApp's 2021 privacy policy update?
- A. National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT)
- B. Competition Commission of India (CCI)
- C. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)
- D. Data Protection Board of India
Q2. Which Union ministry is the nodal administrative authority for the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, and was impleaded as a party in the Meta/WhatsApp matter before the Supreme Court in 2026?
- A. Ministry of Home Affairs
- B. Ministry of Law and Justice
- C. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
- D. Ministry of Corporate Affairs
Q3. With reference to the November 2025 ruling of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) compared with the November 2024 order of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) in the WhatsApp-Meta matter, consider the following statements:
1. The CCI's order imposed a five-year ban on WhatsApp sharing user data with other Meta entities for advertising purposes, which was set aside by the NCLAT.
2. The NCLAT enhanced the monetary penalty imposed by the CCI from ₹213.14 crore to a higher amount.
3. While the CCI's order rested on the Competition Act, 2002, the NCLAT order substituted it with provisions of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The CCI's order imposed a five-year ban on WhatsApp sharing user data with other Meta entities for advertising purposes, which was set aside by the NCLAT.
- The NCLAT enhanced the monetary penalty imposed by the CCI from ₹213.14 crore to a higher amount.
- While the CCI's order rested on the Competition Act, 2002, the NCLAT order substituted it with provisions of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q4. With reference to the Competition Commission of India's November 2024 order against Meta/WhatsApp arising out of WhatsApp's 2021 privacy policy update, consider the following findings/directions:
1. Meta was held to have abused its dominant position in the market for OTT messaging apps through smartphones in India.
2. WhatsApp was directed to provide users an opt-out option for data sharing with other Meta companies for purposes other than provisioning the WhatsApp service.
3. A five-year prohibition was imposed on sharing user data collected on WhatsApp with other Meta companies for advertising purposes.
4. WhatsApp was directed to mandatorily integrate its end-to-end encryption with the Aadhaar-based authentication framework.
Which of the above is/are NOT correctly identified?
- Meta was held to have abused its dominant position in the market for OTT messaging apps through smartphones in India.
- WhatsApp was directed to provide users an opt-out option for data sharing with other Meta companies for purposes other than provisioning the WhatsApp service.
- A five-year prohibition was imposed on sharing user data collected on WhatsApp with other Meta companies for advertising purposes.
- WhatsApp was directed to mandatorily integrate its end-to-end encryption with the Aadhaar-based authentication framework.
- A. 4 only
- B. 2 and 4
- C. 3 and 4
- D. 1 only
Q5. The Competition Commission of India, which imposed the ₹213.14 crore penalty on Meta over WhatsApp's 2021 privacy policy update, is a statutory body established exclusively under which one of the following enactments?
- A. Companies Act, 2013
- B. Competition Act, 2002
- C. Consumer Protection Act, 2019
- D. Information Technology Act, 2000