WhatsApp parent company Meta said on Tuesday that it disagrees with the Competition Commission of India's (CCI) ruling and intends to appeal. The business also maintained that the 2021 upgrade did not alter the privacy of people's personal messages, and consumers were given the option at the time.

"We disagree with the CCI ruling and want to appeal. As a reminder, the 2021 upgrade did not alter the privacy of people's personal messages and was provided as an option to consumers at the time. We also ensured that no one's accounts were terminated or that the WhatsApp service's operation was disrupted as a result of this update," claimed a Meta spokeswoman.

On Monday, the CCI slapped a Rs 213.14 crore penalty on Meta for misusing its dominating position. This is related to the implementation of WhatsApp's 2021 Privacy Policy, as well as the collection and sharing of user data with other Meta firms.

The CCI also issued cease-and-desist orders and required Meta and WhatsApp to undertake specific behavioural changes within a set time frame.

Meta went on to say that the change was about introducing optional business services on WhatsApp, as well as increasing openness about how data is collected and used. "And since then, WhatsApp has been extremely beneficial to people and businesses, allowing organizations and government institutions to provide citizen services during COVID and beyond, as well as aiding small businesses in the interest of the Indian economy. Because it provides Meta-supported services, WhatsApp is able to accomplish all of this," the statement said.

This is the second time that  CCI in India has taken a firm position against Big Tech. Google was also hit with a fine and instructed to alter its business strategy in the Android lawsuit last year. Google was accused by CCI of abusing its position of dominance in the Android ecosystem.

"We are committed to finding a path forward that allows us to continue providing the experiences that people and businesses have come to expect from us," stated the spokesperson for Meta.