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Meta-WhatsApp Antitrust Ruling, NCLAT Chairperson reappointment, and More

Your weekly rundown of significant judicial rulings and legal battles influencing policy, companies, regulation, and governance.

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November 10, 2025 at 11:24 AM IST

“Justice becomes truly accessible and timely only when it reaches every individual without regard to their social or economic background.”

— Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the National Conference on Strengthening Legal Aid Delivery Mechanisms. 

Is the Meta antitrust ruling by NCLAT a band-aid?
The appeals court delivered a ruling in a crucial case involving one of the biggest of the Big-techs against the user interest of Indians where the tribunal neither clears Meta (and WhatsApp) of the wrongdoing fully nor does it protect the users’ interests.

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal upheld Competition Commission of India’s finding that WhatsApp’s updated privacy policy of 2021 imposed an unfair condition on the users to accept data sharing terms with Meta platforms but in the same breath quashes the direction that barred the messaging app from sharing user data with its parent company on grounds that a choice to users to opt-out of the same addresses the issue. 

While this finding is infructuous in legal terms considering practically all users have had to by now accept the terms pretty much imposed on them but Meta also gets a free hand now from the court to continue this data sharing despite the fact that the company is not permitted the same liberty in many other jurisdictions. 

Meta and WhatsApp get away with a fine of ₹2.13 billion jointly which is nothing more than a slap on the wrist for the company which enjoys dominance in the space it operates in.

By finding that the company was in breach of some provisions of India’s competition law and yet taking away any effective solution to the breach but retaining a small fine, the NCLAT appears to have taken the middle ground that is likely to compromise user interests going forward. 

Key Rulings:

  • The Supreme Court asks the Law Commission to put together a report on restructuring laws governing property transactions and has urged the centre to take lead in adopting blockchain for property registration calling the experience involved in property dealing as “traumatic” for the people in India

  • An accused person must be given grounds of arrest in writing in the language of their understanding at the time of being apprehended, the Supreme Court has said

  • Delhi High Court has upheld the validity of 2008 and 2010 notifications that mandate foreign employees employed in India to make contribution towards EPF

Courts: 

  • The top court has directed for removal of all stray animals from institutional public spaces and highways to tackle the issue of dog bites

  • Future group and Amazon are considering settlement after the SIAC award passed in the latter’s favour, lawyers inform the Delhi High Court

  • Mediation talks between IndiGo Airlines and Mahindra Electric Automobile over the 6E/6e mark, the Delhi High Court was informed, potentially opening up the gates for a legal battle in court

  • Kerala High Court has restrained physiotherapists from using the Dr prefix before their names for now in an interim order

Quasi Courts:

  • NCLAT has set aside CCI’s ban on WhatsApp from sharing user data with Meta platforms for five years but has upheld the fine imposed by the antitrust watchdog on the company

Other:

  • Justice Ashok Bhushan re-appointed as Chairman of NCLAT till July 2026

The Big Listings:

  • Nov 10: Supreme Court to hear petitions seeking judicial inquiry into the Air India crash of June 2025

  • Nov 11: Supreme Court to continue hearing bail pleas by students and activists in Delhi riots of 2020 case

  • Nov 12: NCLT in Ahmedabad to hear petition for Vedanta’s demerge

  • Nov 17: Supreme Court to hear Sahara’s plea for court’s nod to sell its properties to Adani to raise funds

  • Nov 18: Securities Appellate Tribunal to hear appeal by Jane Street challenging SEBI’s move to allegedly refuse access to important documents to the firm in the case against it

  • Nov 26: Supreme Court to hear a batch of petitions that challenge the validity of the newly passed law that bans online gaming platforms

* The dates of hearing can change and a concrete list is prepared just a day before

Legal Moves: 

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