By Heraldviews
Meta Platforms Inc., the U.S.-based technology company that owns Facebook and Instagram, has warned that it may shut down its social media services in Nigeria amid escalating tensions with regulatory authorities and mounting financial penalties.
The company’s warning came
after a Nigerian federal high court in Abuja dismissed Meta’s legal challenge
against fines exceeding $290 million imposed by three national oversight
agencies.
In documents submitted to the
court, Meta stated that it “may be forced to effectively shut down the Facebook
and Instagram services in Nigeria in order to mitigate the risk of enforcement
measures.” The company, however, did not mention WhatsApp, its popular
messaging service, in the filing.
Regulatory Fines and Alleged
Violations
The Federal Competition and
Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), the Nigerian Data Protection Commission
(NDPC), and the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria had imposed separate
penalties on Meta in 2023, citing various legal breaches.
- The FCCPC levied a $220 million
fine for alleged anti-competitive conduct.
- The Advertising Council imposed a $37.5
million fine for running unapproved advertisements.
- The NDPC fined Meta $32.8 million,
accusing it of breaching national data protection regulations.
FCCPC’s chief executive, Adamu
Abdullahi, said the penalties followed joint investigations by the agencies
between May 2021 and December 2023. He alleged that Meta’s platforms had
engaged in “invasive practices” affecting Nigerian consumers but did not provide
detailed examples.
Data Privacy Demands Called
‘Unrealistic’
In its court filing, Meta
expressed particular concern with the NDPC’s interpretation of data privacy
laws. The agency has demanded that Meta obtain prior approval before
transferring users’ personal data outside Nigeria, a requirement the company
has described as “unrealistic.”
Additionally, the NDPC
instructed Meta to embed educational icons on its platforms linking to
government-approved videos about data privacy risks. These videos must be
created in collaboration with educational institutions and non-profit
organizations and must explain the dangers of “manipulative and unfair data
processing” that could lead to financial or health-related harm for Nigerian
users.
Meta called the demands unfeasible,
arguing that the NDPC had misapplied the country’s data protection laws.
Implications for Nigerian Users
and Businesses
With tens of millions of
Nigerians using Facebook daily, a potential shutdown could significantly
disrupt online communication and digital commerce in the country. Facebook is
widely used for social networking, news sharing, and by small businesses for
marketing and customer engagement.
The federal high court has
given Meta until the end of June to comply with the financial penalties. As of
the time of publication, the company had not publicly announced its next course
of action. Efforts to obtain comment from Meta by international media
organizations, including the BBC, have not yet yielded a response.
Background
Meta has faced growing scrutiny
from regulatory bodies worldwide over data handling, advertising transparency,
and competition concerns. In recent years, several countries have introduced or
updated data protection laws, often requiring multinational tech companies to localize
user data or comply with specific regulatory frameworks.
Analysts warn that the standoff
in Nigeria may set a precedent for future regulatory engagement between
governments and global technology firms operating in Africa’s rapidly expanding
digital markets.
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