Nigeria has ordered WhatsApp and Meta Platforms Incorporated to pay a $220m penalty and $35,000 to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) within 60 days over data discrimination practices in Nigeria.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal upheld the $220m penalty imposed by FCCPC on WhatsApp and Meta, as well as $35,000 as reimbursement for the commission’s investigation against the social media giant. The ruling affirmed the commission’s authority and actions in nearly all contested issues.
Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram, was fined $220 million by the FCCPC for data privacy violations on July 19, 2024. The FCCPC claimed Meta appropriated Nigerian users’ data without their consent, exploited its market dominance by forcing exploitative privacy policies, and discriminated against Nigerians compared to other jurisdictions with similar regulations.
The fine was imposed after a 38-month joint investigation by the FCCPC and the Nigerian Data Protection Commission. The tribunal ruled that the FCCPC acted within its constitutional and statutory powers in investigating and sanctioning the companies for alleged anti-competitive and exploitative practices.
FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Tunji Bello, thanked the commission’s legal team for their exceptional diligence and forensic skills in assembling evidence and marshalling their argument. He restated FCCPC’s unwavering commitment to championing the rights of Nigerian consumers and ensuring fair business practices under FCCPA (2018).
In May, Turkey’s competition board fined Meta 1.2 billion lira following investigations on data-sharing on its Facebook, Instagram, Threads and WhatsApp platforms, says Reuters.
