Judicial Ultimatum in Delhi: India's Supreme Court Confronts Meta Over Data Sovereignty

In a landmark confrontation between national sovereignty and global tech operations, India's Supreme Court has issued a stark judicial ultimatum to Meta Platforms, Inc., challenging the company's data governance practices. The bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, explicitly directed the social media conglomerate to either comply with India's data protection framework or cease operations within the country. This judicial intervention centers on allegations of coercive data-sharing practices by Meta's WhatsApp subsidiary, which reportedly demands users consent to sharing information with parent company Meta as a condition of service. The court's position reflects growing global tensions between national jurisdictions and transnational digital platforms over data localization, privacy standards, and regulatory compliance. Legal analysts interpret this development as a critical test case for India's evolving digital sovereignty doctrine, potentially setting precedents for how emerging economies assert control over cross-border data flows. The ruling underscores a broader strategic shift where judicial authorities are increasingly willing to enforce hard boundaries on tech giants operating within their jurisdictions. This case may influence pending legislation and international negotiations on digital trade, marking a pivotal moment in the rebalancing of power between nation-states and global technology corporations.