India, Feb. 4 -- The Supreme Court of India has issued a stern warning to Meta and WhatsApp, stating they must follow the country's Constitution or cease operations in India. A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant criticised the companies for their 2021 privacy policy, which mandated data sharing across Meta platforms.

The court is reviewing appeals against a Rs 213.14 crore penalty imposed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI). The CCI found that WhatsApp abused its dominant market position by forcing users into a "take-it-or-leave-it" agreement.

While the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) upheld the fine in November 2025, it had partially relaxed restrictions on data sharing for advertising. The Supre...