New Delhi, Feb. 9 -- The Supreme Court on Monday deferred hearing in pleas filed by WhatsApp and its parent company Meta Platforms challenging the Rs.213.14 crore penalty by Competition Commission of India (CCI) over the messaging platform's 2021 privacy policy. The matter has now been listed for hearing on 23 February.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant, which was earlier expected to pass directions in the case, adjourned the hearing due to the unavailability of senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who is appearing for Meta and WhatsApp.

The case relates to WhatsApp's controversial 2021 privacy policy update, which allowed the sharing of user data, including phone numbers, device information and interactions with business...