J&K placed under Governor's Rule after President's approval
Srinagar, June 20 : Jammu and Kashmir was placed under the Governor's Rule on Wednesday following President Ram Nath Kovind's approval.
Governor, N.N. Vohra sought Kovind's approval on Tuesday after the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) decision to pull out of the Peoples Democratic Party (pdp)-led state government which was immediately followed by the resignation of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
Vohra's recommendations for imposition of the Governor's Rule was made under the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution which allows the state to be placed under the rule for six months.
If an elected government fails to take office within the six-month period, the state can then be placed under the President's rule.
Jammu and Kashmir has a constitution of its own which runs concomitantly with the Indian Constitution.
It is for the fourth time that Vohra will be running the affairs of the state administration directly.
The Governor's Rule was first imposed in the state by then Governor L.K. Jha on March 26, 1977, when the Congress withdrew support to the minority government headed by Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah.
In March 1986, it was imposed for the second time following the withdrawal of support by Congress to the G.M.Shah-led government.
In January 1990, the Governor's Rule was imposed for the third time when the then Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah resigned following the appointment of Jagmohan as the Governor of the state.
It was imposed for the fourth time in October 2002 when Farooq Abdullah refused to continue as the caretaker Chief Minister following his party's defeat in the Assembly elections.
This was the first time Vohra took over as the Governor.
In June 2008, the Governor's Rule was imposed following the withdrawal of PDP's support to the Ghulam Nabi Azad-led government.
In January 2015, following his party's failure to get a majority in Assembly elections, Omar Abdullah refused to continue as caretaker Chief Minister pushing the state into the Governor's Rule for the sixth time.
Following the death of the former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on January 7, 2016, Vohra assumed reins of administration imposing Governor's Rule for the seventh time.
Vohra's term of office was slated to end on June 25. Kovind however, extended Vohra's term of office for three months.
Informed sources told IANS that Vohra has expressed his desire not to seek another term of extension. He will be completing 10 years in office on June 25.
Unless Vohra agrees to continue, the appointment of a news Governor would become unavoidable by September 25.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
CCI slaps Meta with Rs 213 crore fine over WhatsApp’s 2021 privacy policy update
New Delhi, Nov 18: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Monday imposed a penalty of Rs 213.14 crore on social media major Meta for unfair business ways with respect to WhatsApp privacy policy update done in 2021.
Besides, the competition watchdog has directed Meta to “cease and desist” from anti-competitive practices.
Meta and WhatsApp have also been asked to implement certain behavioural remedies within a defined timeline to address the anti-competition issues, according to a CCI order.
The regulator has called for implementing various remedial measures, including barring WhatsApp from sharing data collected on its platform with other Meta companies or Meta company products for advertising purposes for five years.
Among other directions, CCI has said that sharing of user data collected on WhatsApp with other Meta companies or Meta company products for purposes other than for providing WhatsApp services shall not be made a condition for users to access WhatsApp Service in India.
The Competition Commission of India (Commission) on Monday imposed a penalty of Rs 213.14 crore on Meta for abusing its dominant position,
Passing the order against abuse of dominance, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) said this (penalty) relates to how WhatsApp's 2021 Privacy Policy was implemented and how user data was collected and shared with other Meta companies.
For the case, CCI delineated two relevant markets -- OTT messaging apps through smartphones in India, and online display advertising in India. "Meta Group operating through WhatsApp was found to be dominant in the market for OTT messaging apps through smartphones in India. "Furthermore, it was also found that Meta holds a leading position compared to its competitors in online display advertising in India," CCI said in a release.
Starting from January 2021, WhatsApp notified users about updates to its terms of service and privacy policies.
The in-app notification, effective from February 8, 2021, stated that users were required to accept these terms, including expanded scope of data collection as well as mandatory data sharing with Meta companies, to continue using WhatsApp.
Under the previous privacy policy dated August 25, 2016, WhatsApp users were given the option to decide whether they wanted to share their data with Facebook, the release said.
"However, with the latest policy update in 2021, WhatsApp made data sharing with Meta mandatory for all users, removing the earlier option to opt-out. As a result, users had to accept the new terms, which include data sharing with Meta, in order to continue using the platform," it added.
The watchdog has concluded that the 2021 policy update by WhatsApp on a "take-it-or-leave-it" basis constitutes an imposition of unfair condition under the Competition Act, as it compels all users to accept expanded data collection terms and sharing of data within Meta Group without any opt out.
"Given the network effects and lack of effective alternatives, the 2021 update forces users to comply, undermining their autonomy, and constitutes an abuse of Meta's dominant position. Accordingly, the Commission finds that Meta (through WhatsApp) has contravened Section 4(2)(a)(i) of the Act," it said.
Further, CCI said that sharing of WhatsApp users' data between Meta companies for purposes other than providing WhatsApp Service creates an entry barrier for the rivals of Meta and thus, results in denial of market access in the display advertisement market.
According to the regulator, Meta has engaged in leveraging its dominant position in the OTT messaging apps through smartphones to protect its position in the online display advertising market in contravention of the competition law.
CCI has barred WhatsApp from sharing data collected on its platform with other Meta companies or Meta company products for advertising purposes for five years and the debarment period will start from the date of receipt of this order.
With respect to sharing of WhatsApp user data for purposes other than advertising, the regulator said WhatsApp's policy should include a detailed explanation of the user data shared with other Meta companies or Meta company Products.
"This explanation should specify the purpose of data sharing, linking each type of data to its corresponding purpose," it said.
The watchdog also said that sharing of user data collected on WhatsApp with other Meta companies or Meta company products for purposes other than for providing WhatsApp services shall not be made a condition for users to access WhatsApp Service in India.
Regarding sharing of WhatsApp user data for purposes other than for providing WhatsApp services, CCI said all users in India (including users who have accepted 2021 update) will be provided with the choice to manage such data sharing by way of an opt-out option prominently through an in-app notification.
Also, the regulator has asked for the option to review and modify their choice with respect to such sharing of data through a prominent tab in settings of WhatsApp application, and all future policy updates should comply with these requirements.
