Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has imposed a $220 million fine on Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, for violating the country’s consumer and data protection laws.
The hefty fine follows a 38-month investigation conducted jointly with Nigeria’s Data Protection Commission. The FCCPC accused Meta of several concerning practices, including collecting user data without their consent, enforcing unfair privacy policies that gave users no control over their information, and treating Nigerian users differently compared to those in other countries with similar regulations.
“Our investigation found that Meta has repeatedly violated Nigerian law,” stated FCCPC Chief Adamu Abdullahi. “They collected user data without permission, forced exploitative privacy policies on users, and discriminated against Nigerians compared to users in other countries.”
Meta has not yet responded to the fine. However, the FCCPC confirmed the company cooperated to some extent during the investigation, providing documents and legal representation.
The FCCPC’s final order includes a mandatory action plan for Meta to bring its practices into compliance with Nigerian law. This decision comes amidst a growing trend of international scrutiny against Meta’s data practices. Turkey recently fined Meta over $1 billion for similar violations, and investigations are ongoing in Europe and South Africa.
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