Nigeria Calls Meta’s Bluff, Says Exit Won’t Make Issues Go Away
Nigeria, through the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), has responded to Meta’s recent threat to exit the country, describing it as a tactic to incite public reaction against regulatory action.
The FCCPC stated that Meta’s potential departure will not exempt it from the liability it has incurred. On Friday, the tech giant warned that it might suspend Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria due to “unrealistic” regulatory demands by local authorities.
This threat comes after three Nigerian oversight agencies fined the tech giant more than $290 million (£218 million) last year, citing violations of competition, advertising, and data protection laws. After it failed to overturn these sanctions in a Federal High Court in Abuja, the company, in court documents, said it might have to shut down Facebook and Instagram in Nigeria “to mitigate the risk of enforcement measures.”
In a statement issued on Saturday, the FCCPC said Meta’s threat appears to be an attempt to trigger public backlash and pressure the commission into reversing its stance. It confirmed that Meta and WhatsApp are under investigation for alleged violations of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR).
According to the commission, Meta has committed repeated breaches of the FCCPA (2018) and the NDPR by denying Nigerians control over their data, transferring and sharing user data without consent, discriminating against Nigerian users compared to other regions, and abusing its dominant market position.
“Threatening to leave Nigeria does not absolve Meta of liabilities for the outcome of a judicial process. For the avoidance of doubt, the FCCPC remains committed in its pursuit of consumer protection and data privacy towards ensuring a fairer digital market in Nigeria,” the FCCPC said.
It added that the recent affirmation of its final order by the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal requires Meta to comply with Nigerian law, cease exploitative practices, and align its operations with both local standards and international best practices.
