The Federal Government has slapped Meta Platforms with a hefty $220 million fine after finding that data-sharing practices on its Facebook and WhatsApp platforms violated Nigerian consumer, data protection, and privacy laws.
Dr. Adamu Abdullahi, Acting CEO of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), announced the penalty on Friday. The investigation revealed that Meta used the data of Nigerian users without their consent, abused its market dominance, and treated Nigerian consumers unfairly compared to those in other regions with similar regulations.
Meta has yet to comment on the fine, but the FCCPC noted that the company has submitted some documents and engaged legal counsel to meet and discuss with the agency.
The investigation, conducted jointly with Nigeria’s Data Protection Commission, spanned over 38 months. It concluded that Meta’s policies did not allow users to choose whether to consent to the collection, use, and sharing of their personal data. Dr. Abdullahi stated, “The totality of the investigation has concluded that Meta, over a protracted period, engaged in conduct that constituted multiple and repeated, as well as continuing infringements… particularly abusive and invasive practices against data subjects in Nigeria.”
With significant evidence on record and Meta having had ample opportunity to defend its practices, the FCCPC issued a final order and imposed the penalty. The order also outlines steps Meta must take to comply with local laws.
This isn’t the first time Meta has faced such penalties. In May, Turkey’s competition board fined Meta 1.2 billion lira for data-sharing practices on its Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp platforms. Meta has also faced scrutiny in Europe for alleged breaches of data protection laws, particularly its plans to use personal data to train its artificial intelligence models without seeking user consent.
The fine underscores the growing global pushback against tech giants over data privacy issues, highlighting the importance of adhering to local regulations and respecting user consent.
