The Federal Government has imposed a $220 million fine on Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, for unauthorized use of personal data, discriminatory practices against Nigerian users, and abuse of its market dominance.
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), in collaboration with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), announced the fine on Friday.
The decision followed a thorough 38-month investigation into Meta’s data privacy practices and market behavior, which revealed significant and ongoing violations of Nigerian laws.
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The investigation, conducted between May 2021 and December 2023, examined Meta’s privacy policies and practices.
It uncovered multiple breaches of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR), including unauthorized data appropriation, discriminatory practices against Nigerian users, and abuse of Meta’s dominant market position.
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The findings indicated that Meta engaged in invasive and abusive practices, such as transferring personal data across borders without authorization and compelling users to accept exploitative privacy policies.
Despite being given numerous opportunities to defend its practices, Meta’s responses were deemed inadequate by the regulatory bodies.
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The FCCPC’s final order mandates several corrective actions for Meta to ensure compliance with Nigerian laws.
These include respecting Nigerian users’ right to data self-determination, halting unauthorized data transfers, and ending discriminatory practices.
Additionally, the order emphasizes the severity of Meta’s violations by imposing a $220 million penalty.
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“After a comprehensive review of the evidence and Meta’s inadequate defense, the Commission has issued a final order and penalty against Meta. The order outlines Meta’s specific violations, including denying Nigerian data subjects the right to self-determine, unauthorized data transfers, discriminatory practices, and abuse of market dominance,” the FCCPC stated.
The order requires Meta to take immediate steps to comply with Nigerian laws, cease exploiting Nigerian consumers, and avoid future practices that undermine consumer rights.
The $220 million fine is in line with the FCCPA 2018 and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection (Administrative Penalties) Regulations 2020 (APR).
This significant penalty underscores the Nigerian government’s commitment to protecting its citizens’ data privacy and holding global tech giants accountable for their practices.
