Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has fined Meta Platforms $220 million for violating local consumer, data protection, and privacy laws. The fine follows an extensive 38-month investigation conducted jointly with Nigeria’s Data Protection Commission.
Violations and Investigation Findings
The FCCPC concluded that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp, appropriated the data of Nigerian users without their consent and enforced exploitative privacy policies. The investigation also found that Meta’s practices involved discriminatory treatment of Nigerian users compared to other jurisdictions with similar regulations.
According to FCCPC Chief Adamu Abdullahi, Meta’s policies do not provide users with the option to withhold consent for the gathering, use, and sharing of their personal data. “The totality of the investigation has concluded that Meta over the protracted period of time has engaged in conduct that constituted multiple and repeated, as well as continuing infringements… particularly, but not limited to abusive, and invasive practices against data subjects in Nigeria,” Abdullahi stated.
Meta’s Response and FCCPC’s Final Order
While Meta has not immediately commented on the fine, the FCCPC noted that the company has provided some documents and retained legal counsel to engage with the agency. Despite these engagements, the Commission found significant evidence of violations and issued a final order mandating steps Meta must take to comply with Nigerian laws.
Global Pushback Against Meta
This is not the first time Meta has faced regulatory scrutiny. In May, Turkey’s competition board fined Meta 1.2 billion lira for similar data-sharing violations on its platforms. Additionally, Meta’s plan to use personal data to train artificial intelligence models without seeking user consent has come under fire in Europe.
In South Africa, the competition watchdog has announced plans to investigate whether digital platforms, including Meta, unfairly compete with news publishers by using their content to generate ad revenue.
Conclusion
The $220 million fine imposed by Nigeria underscores the growing global concern over data privacy and the practices of major tech companies. As regulatory bodies worldwide increase their scrutiny, Meta and similar companies may need to reevaluate their data management and privacy policies to ensure compliance with local and international laws.