Nigeria’s Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal has ruled against Meta Platforms and its subsidiary, WhatsApp, ordering them to pay a $220 million fine and $35,000 to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
The ruling follows allegations of discriminatory data practices affecting Nigerian users.
The tribunal, led by Thomas Okosun, dismissed Meta and WhatsApp’s appeal against the fine, stating they failed to provide solid evidence challenging the FCCPC’s decision.
Meta’s legal team, represented by Professor Gbolahan Elias (SAN), argued that the FCCPC’s directives were vague, technically impossible to implement, and lacked proper legal backing in Nigeria.
However, the tribunal ruled in favor of the FCCPC, stating that the commission acted within its lawful mandate to protect Nigerian consumers. “The tribunal finds that the FCCPC did not exceed its powers while making orders regarding data protection,” Okosun said.
The legal battle between Meta and the Nigerian authorities stems from concerns over the company’s handling of user data.
The FCCPC alleged that Meta engaged in exploitative practices that violated Nigerian laws by allowing unauthorized access to private information and failing to offer Nigerian users control over their data-sharing preferences.
Summary of the Orders of the Tribunal
The tribunal has directed Meta and WhatsApp to take immediate action to comply with its ruling, including:
- Immediately stopping the sharing of Nigerian users’ data with Facebook and third parties.
- Reverting to their 2016 data-sharing policy.
- Allowing Nigerian users full control over how their data is processed.
- Submitting a compliance report to the FCCPC by July 1, 2025.
- Providing a revised data policy within 10 days to both the FCCPC and the National Data Protection Commission (NDPC).
Meta must also reimburse the FCCPC $35,000 for its investigation and settle the $220 million fine by April 30, 2025.
This ruling against Meta follows similar cases worldwide. In 2023, the European Data Protection Board fined Meta €1.2 billion for violating EU privacy regulations.
Big Tech companies such as Amazon, Google, and Meta have faced multiple penalties under strict data protection laws in Europe and other regions.
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The government has done well by suing Meta for the breach, buy my problem is, what will happen to the money if Meta actually pays it?😄😄😄