According to France24 on May 4, Meta has warned of the possibility of closing Facebook and Instagram in the most populous country in Africa if enforcement measures are taken.
Previously, a court in Nigeria rejected Meta's appeal for a $220 million fine issued by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC). Meta has been accused of violating data protection and consumer rights laws on Facebook and WhatsApp platforms in Nigeria.
According to the cited complaint, Meta stated, We may be forced to stop providing Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria to mitigate the risks of enforcement measures.
Meta said it did not agree with the decision of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), saying that the decision does not consider tools and settings that allow users to control how their personal data is used. Meta spokesperson added that the company is committed to protecting user privacy and is continuing to pursue the appeal.
FCCPC and NDPC investigations from May 2021 to December 2023 have detected incidents against consumers and personal data in Nigeria. Meanwhile, a Facebook spokesperson said the FCCPC decision contained multiple inaccurate points and distorted the way Facebook works and was urgently appealing to prevent negative impacts on users.
Responding to Meta's warning, the FCCPC said it was "a calculated move to create negative public reaction and pressure the committee to change the decision".
The agency stressed that Meta has been sanctioned for similar violations in Texas, India, South Korea, France and Australia, but never threatened to withdraw from those countries. They complied.
The FCCPC insists that the threat to withdraw from Nigeria cannot help Meta avoid legal liability in court. According to data from the National Communications Commission, Nigeria has about 164.3 million Internet subscribers as of March. Meta has until the end of June to pay the fine.
