The Nigerian Federal Government has responded to the threat made by Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram, indicating that it might leave the country following a $220 million fine imposed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
In a statement on its X platform on Thursday, August 1, 2024, the Nigerian consumer protection agency labeled Meta’s threat to leave as a strategic move aimed at influencing public opinion and pressuring the FCCPC to review its decision. The FCCPC reaffirmed its assertion that the tech platform discriminated against Nigerian users compared to users in other places and abused its dominant market position by enforcing unfair privacy policies. The trouble began when the FCCPC fined Meta $220 million for unauthorized use of personal data without user consent and discriminatory practices against Nigerian users.
In response to the fine, Meta threatened to leave the country, despite filing an appeal against the penalty. In its response, the FCCPC’s statement reads: “WhatsApp’s claim that it may be forced to exit Nigeria due to FCCPC’s recent order appears to be a strategic move aimed at influencing public opinion and potentially pressuring the FCCPC to reconsider its decision. “The FCCPC investigated Meta Platforms and WhatsApp (jointly referred to as “Meta Parties”) for allegedly violating the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation. “The Commission found that Meta Parties engaged in multiple and repeated infringements of the FCCPA and the NDPR.
“These infringements included denying Nigerians the right to control their personal data, transferring and sharing Nigerian user data without authorization, discriminating against Nigerian users compared to users in other jurisdictions and abusing their dominant market position by forcing unfair privacy policies.” The FCCPC’s actions are based on legitimate concerns about consumer protection and data privacy, and the order is a positive step towards a fairer digital market in Nigeria. Similar measures are taken in other jurisdictions without forcing companies to leave the market. The case of Nigeria will not be different,” the statement concluded.