Nigeria’s antitrust agency, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), has fined Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and WhatsApp, a staggering $220 million.
The fine stems from a 38-month investigation that found Meta violated Nigerian consumer protection and data privacy laws.
The FCCPC alleges that Meta appropriated user data without consent, abused its market dominance by forcing unfair privacy policies, and treated Nigerian users differently compared to those in other regions with similar regulations.
The investigation revealed that Meta’s privacy policies don’t grant users the option to control the collection, use, and sharing of their personal data.
FCCPC Chief Adamu Abdullahi stated that Meta engaged in “abusive and invasive practices” against Nigerian data subjects.
The agency issued a final order requiring Meta to take specific actions to comply with Nigerian laws.
This follows a similar penalty against Meta by Turkey’s competition board in May 2024 for data-sharing practices.
Meta’s data practices have faced scrutiny globally.
The company has been criticized in Europe for its plan to utilize user data for AI development without consent.
South Africa’s competition watchdog is also investigating whether Meta unfairly competes with news publishers by leveraging their content for ad revenue.
nigeria cracks down on meta’s data practices
Meta has yet to comment on the Nigerian fine.
