UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Why are Meta and WhatsApp facing a judicial ultimatum?

Q1. In its action against Meta over the 2021 WhatsApp privacy policy, the CCI was said to have taken 'suo motu cognisance'. This expression most precisely means that the Commission —

  • A. initiated the inquiry on its own motion, without any formal complaint or reference
  • B. acted upon a reference made to it by the Central Government
  • C. acted upon an information filed by a rival messaging platform
  • D. referred the matter to the Supreme Court for an advisory opinion before proceeding

Q2. In the Meta-WhatsApp matter, which one of the following is the final appellate forum before which the NCLAT's order was challenged?

  • A. The Supreme Court of India
  • B. The concerned High Court
  • C. The Competition Commission of India, sitting in review
  • D. The Competition Appellate Tribunal (COMPAT)

Q3. The revised WhatsApp privacy policy that made data-sharing with Meta companies mandatory, and which the CCI subsequently held to be abusive, came into effect in which year?

  • A. 2021
  • B. 2016
  • C. 2019
  • D. 2023

Q4. The CCI described WhatsApp's 2021 policy rollout as imposing a 'take-it-or-leave-it' condition. This characterisation most accurately means that —

  • A. users had to accept the expanded data-sharing with Meta companies or lose access to the service altogether
  • B. users could decline data-sharing while continuing to use the service with reduced features
  • C. users could selectively choose which categories of their data would be shared
  • D. the mandatory data-sharing applied only to WhatsApp Business accounts, not personal accounts

Q5. Under which section of the Competition Act, 2002 is 'abuse of dominant position' — the provision under which Meta was penalised — prohibited?

  • A. Section 4
  • B. Section 3
  • C. Section 5
  • D. Section 6

Q6. The Competition Commission of India, which passed the order against Meta, functions under the administrative control of which Union Ministry?

  • A. Ministry of Corporate Affairs
  • B. Ministry of Commerce and Industry
  • C. Ministry of Finance
  • D. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

Q7. Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, the principal body established to adjudicate data breaches and impose penalties is the —

  • A. Data Protection Board of India
  • B. Competition Commission of India
  • C. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
  • D. National Data Governance Authority

Q8. Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, a 'Data Fiduciary' is best defined as —

  • A. any person who, alone or with others, determines the purpose and means of processing personal data
  • B. the individual to whom the personal data relates
  • C. an entity that enables a person to give, manage and withdraw consent through a common platform
  • D. a person who processes personal data only on behalf of, and under instructions from, another

Q9. The Supreme Court's observation that user 'consent' obtained under monopolistic conditions may amount to a 'legal fiction' most accurately conveys that such consent —

  • A. is presumed to exist in law but does not reflect a genuinely free choice in practice
  • B. has no legal validity whatsoever once given in a digital format
  • C. cannot be withdrawn by the user once it has been granted
  • D. is always legally binding on the user irrespective of any coercion involved

Q10. The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), before which Meta first challenged the CCI order, is best described as —

  • A. a statutory appellate tribunal, constituted under the Companies Act 2013, that hears appeals against orders of the NCLT and of the CCI
  • B. a constitutional court exercising original jurisdiction over all company-law disputes
  • C. the primary investigative regulator for anti-competitive conduct in India
  • D. a tribunal that hears appeals only against NCLT orders in insolvency matters

Q11. As constituted under the Competition Act, 2002, the Competition Commission of India consists of —

  • A. a Chairperson and not more than six other Members, all whole-time
  • B. a Chairperson and not more than ten Members
  • C. a Chairperson and four part-time Members
  • D. a Chairperson and two ex-officio Members drawn from the concerned Ministries

Q12. Among the CCI's abuse-of-dominance actions against Big Tech firms, the single highest monetary penalty was imposed in which case?

  • A. The Google Android mobile devices case (Rs. 1337.76 crore)
  • B. The Google Play Store policies case (Rs. 936.44 crore)
  • C. The Meta-WhatsApp 2021 privacy policy case (Rs. 213.14 crore)
  • D. The Google Android TV case