Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, announced on Saturday its intention to appeal a $220 million fine imposed by Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) for violations of the country’s data privacy laws.
In a statement provided to the News Agency of Nigeria, WhatsApp stated, “We disagree with the decision today as well as the fine and Meta will be appealing the decision. In 2021, we went to users globally to explain how talking to businesses among other things would work and while there was a lot of confusion then, it has actually proven quite popular.”
The FCCPC, in a statement signed by its acting Executive Chairman Adamu Abdullahi, accused Meta of denying Nigerian users control over their data, sharing user data without consent, and abusing its market dominance. “The FCCPC’s final order imposed a monetary penalty of two hundred and twenty million U.S. Dollars only, on Meta. The penalty is in accordance with the FCCPA 2018, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection (Administrative Penalties) Regulations 2020,” the statement read.
The FCCPC initiated its investigation in May 2021, citing evidence that Meta, through its platforms, had breached provisions of the FCCPA 2018 and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation 2019. The commission stated that Meta’s representatives and legal counsel had consistently engaged with investigators, including as recently as April 4, 2024.
The FCCPC’s investigation uncovered evidence of Meta engaging in invasive and abusive practices towards data consumers in Nigeria, including collecting personal data without consent and implementing discriminatory practices against Nigerians.
Meta, an American multinational technology conglomerate based in Menlo Park, California, owns and operates platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp.
