Afcacia

Nigeria has fined Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, $220 million. The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) imposed this fine due to alleged violations of unauthorized data collection, non-compliance with local advertising standards, and lack of transparency in its business operations within Nigeria.

The FCCPC claims that Meta has been operating without the required approvals and has not complied with local guidelines for online advertising and user data protection.

The Nigeria Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission announced a fine last week, after concluding a 38-month investigation that began in May 2021, stating it had “significant evidence on the record.”

According to FCCPC chairman Adamu Abdullahi, they have enough evidence that Meta had engaged in unlawful practices which are against data laws in Nigeria.

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 said.

Meta has encountered resistance in Europe and other regions due to alleged breaches of data protection laws. The company’s plan to use personal data to train its artificial intelligence models without obtaining consent has particularly drawn criticism in Europe.  Abdullahi said the tech giant must “comply with the prevailing law and cease the exploitation of Nigerian consumers and their market abuse.”

Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, is inhabited by more than 218.5 million people with over 250 ethnic groups speaking 500 distinct languages. As of 2023, around 40 percent of the Nigerian population accessed the internet via mobile devices and it is projected that the number is going to rise by 2027. 

As of August 2023, the average price for 1 GB of mobile data in Nigeria was 0.39 U.S. dollars. The lowest price for mobile internet in the country was 0.13 U.S. dollars per GB, while the highest price reached 1.64 U.S. dollars per GB.

 WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram are the most popular meta apps in Nigeria which are mostly used. According to Communication Minister Bosun Tijani  in December  the country had “over 51 million WhatsApp users.” data. 

The outcome of this clash will have far-reaching implications for both Meta and Nigeria. For Meta, a loss could set a precedent that encourages other countries to impose similar fines and restrictions. For Nigeria, successfully enforcing the fine would bolster its regulatory credibility and empower it to take further actions against other companies that flout its laws.