Bombay High Court Rejects Meta Plea to Move Suit to California

The Bombay High Court dismissed a jurisdictional challenge by Meta Platforms Inc. and its subsidiary, Facebook India Online Services Pvt. Ltd., in a commercial dispute with digital advertising agency Blink Digital (India) Pvt. Ltd. Meta had applied to move the proceedings to California, arguing that its terms of service mandated exclusive dispute resolution under Californian law.

Justice Sandeep V. Marne rejected the application, ruling that private contracts cannot override mandatory Indian statutory laws. The court determined that because the case involves alleged violations of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, a California court would be legally unable to adjudicate these specific Indian regulatory breaches. The court also noted that Facebook India Online Services Pvt. Ltd., as a local entity, did not challenge the jurisdiction and remains bound by the IT Act.

The legal battle began after Meta disabled four of Blink Digital's business manager accounts and approximately 9,000 associated advertising accounts in August 2026. Blink Digital is seeking the restoration of these accounts along with damages and compensation totaling approximately Rs 1,158 crore. The court is scheduled to hear Blink Digital's application for interim relief on November 2, 2026.