Bantwal : Police accused of harassing youth attacked by a group
PSI Prasanna denies any assault or harassment
“Victim was taken to police station from hospital and assaulted”
Mangaluru, June 20: Police were accused of assaulting a youth, who was undergoing treatment at a hospital after being attacked by a group of people at Amai in Bantwal, after taking him to the police station from the hospital.
The victim is identified as auto driver Abdur Rehman (28) of Puriya in Bantwal taluk.
When Rehman was coming from Vittla on June 18, the fuel of his auto was empty and while he was going to a petrol station to bring petrol, a group of people who were discussing something among themselves, enquired Rehman and insulted him with foul language before assaulting him. Sometime later, a few others came and attacked him, he alleged.
Local people admitted Rehman to the hospital on the same day. Puttur town police station police personnel who came to hospital for collecting information, took him to the police station at around 7 pm without any information to the hospital. After forcing him to sit in the Puttur town police station for some time, he was taken to Bantwal police station in a jeep, he said.
While coming on the jeep, the police assaulted him on his cheek and ears. Even after bringing him to Bantwal police station, he was harassed till 12 am and beaten him up. Because of the assault, he was suffering pain in his legs and hands and he could not listen anything, he alleged.
Responding to the incident, Ashraf, brother of Rehman, said that they were not informed about taking Rehman to the police station from the Puttur government hospital. On June 19, the police called him and said his brother is in police station. Later, he was released on bail. On the same day, as Rehman was unable to walk and listen, he was admitted to a private hospital, he said.
Rehman urged the police to take legal action against the accused Kadeshalya gram panchayat member Sanath and Manoj of Perna village. Along with other accused, Sanath had come to Rehman’s house and threatened him. When Rehman’s sister had been to the police station to lodge a complaint, she was made to wait till 12 midnight in the police station, Ashraf said.
PSI denies any assault
Incident happened between two groups. Case was booked as per the information they have collected. One person was arrested and produced before the court related to this incident. But he was released on bail. He was brought to Bantwal police station and interrogated. But he was neither assaulted nor harassed. He was produced in the open court and if he was assaulted, he could have told this before the judge. Now he is making allegation.
PSI Prasanna, Bantwal rural police station
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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.
