Nigeria has fined US tech giant Meta $220 million (€202 million) for violating antitrust, data protection, and consumer rights laws. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, faces accusations from Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) of discriminatory practices, market dominance abuse, unauthorized sharing of personal data, and denying Nigerians control over their data.
The FCCPC, after a 38-month investigation beginning in May 2021, claims to have “significant evidence” against Meta. FCCPC CEO Adamu Abdullahi stated that the investigation revealed Meta’s “invasive practices” against Nigerian data subjects. He emphasized the need for Meta to “comply with the prevailing law and cease the exploitation of Nigerian consumers and their market abuse.”
The commission has ordered Meta to stop any conduct that does not meet national standards. Despite being aware of the investigation, Meta’s proposed “remedy package” failed to address the FCCPC’s concerns. Meta has not yet commented on the fine.
Nigeria, with 164 million internet subscriptions out of a population of 200 million, sees WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram as its most popular social media platforms. Communication Minister Bosun Tijani noted in December that there are “over 51 million WhatsApp users” in the country.
Nigeria’s action against Meta follows similar moves by the European Union, which recently accused Meta of breaching its tech regulations.