Nigeria’s consumer protection agency fined Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, a hefty $220 million for violating local data privacy laws.
Following a 38-month investigation, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) found Meta guilty of several offenses:
- Unauthorized Data Collection: Meta collected data from Nigerian users without their consent.
- Abusive Market Practices: The company forced unfair privacy policies on users.
- Discrimination: Meta treated Nigerian users differently compared to those in other regions with similar regulations.
The FCCPC chief, Adamu Abdullahi, stated that Meta’s practices were “abusive and invasive” towards Nigerian users. He also highlighted that Meta was given ample opportunity to defend itself but failed to provide a satisfactory explanation.
The fine comes alongside a court order mandating Meta to comply with Nigerian data protection laws. This follows a similar trend in other countries:
- Turkey: Fined Meta 1.2 billion lira for data-sharing practices.
- Europe: Meta faces scrutiny over using personal data for AI models without consent.
- South Africa: Competition authorities are investigating whether Meta unfairly uses news content for ad revenue.
This hefty fine signifies Nigeria’s growing stance on protecting user data privacy and holding big tech companies accountable.
