The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has levied a $25.4 million fine against U.S. tech giant Meta and has prohibited WhatsApp from sharing user data with other Meta-owned platforms for advertising purposes for five years.

This decision follows a probe initiated in March 2021 into WhatsApp's 2021 privacy policy, which faced global backlash for enabling data sharing with Facebook and its subsidiaries.

The CCI stated that accessing WhatsApp services in India should not be contingent upon user data being shared with other Meta entities.

Meta has not responded to comments regarding the CCI's ruling.

This development is part of broader regulatory challenges faced by tech giants like Apple, Google, and Meta in India, as the country considers a new 'Digital Competition Bill' proposed in a February report by a panel under the corporate affairs ministry.

The U.S.-India Business Council has opposed the proposed legislation, citing potential adverse impacts on business.