Nigeria has hit Meta, the parent company of Facebook and WhatsApp, with a significant $220 million fine for repeated violations of its data protection and consumer rights laws. The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) announced this penalty on Friday, accusing Meta of multiple breaches on its platforms.
FCCPC CEO Adamu Abdullahi explained that the commission’s investigation carried out with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission from May 2021 to December 2023, found Meta engaged in invasive practices against Nigerian consumers. The issues included discriminatory practices, abuse of market dominance, unauthorized sharing of personal data, and a lack of transparency about data usage.
In addition to the fine, the FCCPC has ordered Meta to adhere to Nigerian laws and stop exploiting Nigerian consumers. The company has also been instructed to avoid any future practices that don’t meet national standards.
Meta has not yet responded to the fine, but the FCCPC noted that the company was aware of the 38-month investigation.
Nigeria, with its large and youthful population, has over 164 million internet subscriptions, and Meta’s platforms—WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram—are very popular. The country has around 51 million WhatsApp users alone, according to recent figures.
This fine follows recent scrutiny in Europe, where the EU accused Meta of violating digital rules, potentially leading to even larger fines. The EU claimed that Meta’s new ad-free subscription model forced users to either pay to avoid data collection or agree to share their data to continue using the platforms for free.