Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is also under fire. Nigerian regulatory authorities are prepared to hit the company with massive penalties which total more than $290 million for supposed anti-competitive practices and breaches of data privacy law. The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) recently fined Meta. In response, Meta is now threatening to withdraw access to its services in Nigeria.
In order to hold Meta accountable for these claims of anti-competitive behavior, the FCCPC imposed the largest ever fine at a whopping $220 million. Separately, the advertising industry regulator slapped a record $37.5 million penalty for unauthorized advertising conduct of an approved advertisement. The NDPC subsequently imposed a record fine on Meta of $32.8 million, accusing them of breaching data privacy laws. With this penalty, the total penalties have exceeded $290 million.
From May 2021, investigations by both the FCCPC and NDPC continued until December 2023. These inquiries revealed what FCCPC CEO Adamu Abdullahi described as “invasive practices against data subjects/consumers in Nigeria.” Abdullahi’s announcement of the investigation’s findings supports the seriousness of the allegations leveled against Meta.
In a recent court ruling on Meta’s challenge of these fines, the government prevailed in the Federal High Court in Abuja. The court has ordered Meta to pay these fines by the end of June. Failure to do so may mean serious consequences for the company’s ability to operate in Nigeria.
That’s given rise to fierce opposition from Meta itself, which has called the fines “unrealistic.” The company claims that these penalties threaten its interest in being able to meaningfully interpret vague laws governing data privacy. The company has said it is seriously exploring. Unless the fines are paid, it would block Facebook and Instagram from being accessible to users in Nigeria.
These fines come with grave consequences. They could cripple some of the only services that millions of Nigerians rely on to communicate and connect socially amidst the pandemic. If Meta goes through with its threat, consumers would be deprived of popular platforms. These platforms are critical to everyday personal and business communications.