(Photo : www.cci.gov.in)
Meta Faces $25.4M Fine Over WhatsApp's Data Sharing

• India's Competition Commission (CCI) has fined Meta $25.4 million for antitrust violations and banned data sharing for advertising purposes for five years.
• This decision is part of a larger trend of regulatory challenges faced by tech giants in India, with a new "Digital Competition Bill" proposed.
• Google and Magic Leap have announced a partnership, signaling Google's potential return to the augmented and virtual reality market.
• Tech giants Apple, Google, and Meta face potential heavy fines in Europe for violations of new laws, highlighting the global trend towards stricter regulation.

In a significant move, India's competition watchdog, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), has imposed a $25.4 million fine on Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, over antitrust violations. The CCI has also directed WhatsApp to refrain from sharing user data for advertising purposes with other Meta-owned applications for a period of five years. This decision comes in the wake of a probe launched by the CCI in March 2021 into WhatsApp's privacy policy, which allowed data sharing with Facebook and its units, sparking a global backlash.

The CCI stated, Sharing of user data collected on WhatsApp with other Meta companies... for purposes other than for providing WhatsApp service shall not be made a condition for users to access WhatsApp Service in India. The tech giant Meta did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment on this matter.

This decision by the CCI is part of a larger trend of regulatory challenges faced by tech giants, including Apple, Google, and Meta, in India. The Indian government is currently examining a February report from a panel established by the corporate affairs ministry.

Tech Giants Face Regulatory Challenges

The report proposed a new Digital Competition Bill to complement existing antitrust laws. This proposed law is similar to the European Union's antitrust law, indicating a global trend towards stricter regulation of tech giants. However, the U.S.-India Business Council, a key U.S. lobby group, has already opposed the move, fearing its business impact. This opposition highlights the tension between the need for data privacy and the business interests of tech companies.

In a related development, Google and augmented reality startup Magic Leap have announced a strategic technology partnership. This partnership, which aims to build immersive experiences blending the physical and digital worlds, signals Google's potential return to the market for augmented and virtual reality technologies, a market currently dominated by rivals Meta and Apple.

Meanwhile, in Europe, tech giants Apple, Google, and Meta are at risk of heavy fines as Europe launches new probes. Violations of the new law can lead to stiff penalties, including fines of up to 10% of a company's global revenue and up to 20% for repeat offenses.

Global Developments in Tech and Entertainment

For most of the regulated companies, that would translate to tens of billions of dollars. In the UAE, a new labor law has been introduced, providing equality and non-discrimination of employees. This law prohibits discrimination against persons on the ground of race, color, sex religion, national origin, ethnic origin, or disability, in such a way as to weaken equal opportunities or impair equal access to, or continuation of, or enjoyment of rights associated with, employment.

In the entertainment sector, Dubai's Global Village announced the opening date for its new season. The destination will open its doors to the world on Tuesday, October 26, 2021. The silver jubilee edition of Global Village had received 4.5 million visitors and also saw Global Village breaking 25 Guinness World Records.

In the world of cinema, the 31st death anniversary of the legendary actress Smita Patil was marked. In a career spanning a little over a decade, Smita had acted in as many as 80 films, a majority of which belonged to the off-mainstream genre. She was a winner of two National Awards for Best Actress.