The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), has imposed a substantial fine of $220 million on Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram. This action follows an investigation into Meta’s operations, which revealed egregious data abuse and exploitation of Nigerian consumers.
Under the leadership of Dr. Adamu Abdullahi, Ag. Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, the FCCPC conducted a comprehensive investigation into Meta’s activities from May 2021 to December 2023. The inquiry uncovered numerous and repeated violations of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR).
Consequently, the FCCPC has issued a Final Order, directing Meta to take immediate measures to comply with applicable laws and cease exploiting Nigerian consumers. Additionally, the company must pay a monetary penalty of $220 million, as stipulated in the FCCPA 2018 and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection (Administrative Penalties) Regulations 2020.
Notably, this is not the first instance of Meta facing penalties for data abuse. In 2022, the company was fined $402 million by the Irish Data Protection Commission for violating the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Throughout the investigation, Meta has cooperated with the FCCPC, providing information and evidence in response to document requests and summons.
