The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has responded to Meta’s threat to restrict access to Facebook and Instagram in Nigeria, stating that this does not exempt the social media giant from its legal obligations in the country.
The Commission emphasized that any ongoing court cases against Meta will continue regardless of the company’s decision or threat to leave Nigeria.
The FCCPC also suggested that WhatsApp’s warning about a potential exit was a tactic to gain public sympathy and pressure the regulator to reverse its decision.
These statements were made in a press release issued on Saturday by the FCCPC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu.
This follows Meta’s earlier warning that it “may be forced to effectively shut down the Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria in order to mitigate the risk of enforcement measures” due to fines totaling $220 million imposed by the FCCPC on July 19, 2024, for multiple data privacy violations.
The investigation involved Meta and WhatsApp (collectively referred to as the “Meta Parties”) for alleged breaches of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation.
The FCCPC detailed that the Meta Parties repeatedly violated these laws by denying Nigerians control over their data, sharing user data without consent, treating Nigerian users unfairly compared to those in other countries, and abusing their market dominance by imposing unfair privacy policies.
The Commission highlighted that the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal recently upheld the $220 million fine.
They also pointed out that Meta has faced similar fines and regulatory actions in other countries like Texas, the EU, India, South Korea, France, and Australia, but did not resort to threats of leaving those markets; instead, the company complied with local regulations.
The FCCPC stated that Meta’s threat to leave Nigeria will not influence the agency’s decision.
The Commission affirmed its commitment to consumer protection and data privacy, aiming for a fairer digital market in Nigeria, and reiterated that threatening to leave does not absolve Meta of its legal responsibilities resulting from judicial proceedings.
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