WhatsApp fined by the Competition Authority over mandatory data sharing!
The Competition Authority has imposed a daily fine of 4.8 million Turkish Lira on WhatsApp due to its mandatory data sharing policy. Following an interim injunction requiring Meta to stop using the data of WhatsApp users in Turkey for its other services and to notify all users of this, the company had submitted the measures it would take to end the violation to the Competition Authority by December 9, 2023.
AA
The Competition Authority has decided to impose a daily fine of 4.8 million Turkish Lira on META, effective from December 12, 2023, due to its failure to remove the mandatory data sharing requirement imposed on WhatsApp users via a software update.
The Board determined that META was hindering competition by combining data across its Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp services, and had previously called on the company to remove the mandatory data sharing requirement. Finding the proposed solutions submitted by META insufficient, the Board requested that the company submit a new proposal to address its concerns.
Since META has not yet determined how it will regulate its services in line with the EU's Digital Markets Act, the solution proposal it will present to Turkey carries significant importance. While the fines imposed so far have exceeded 140 million Turkish Lira, they will continue to increase with each passing day.