FG responds to WhatsApp’s warning about leaving Nigeria due to a $220 million penalty.
The Federal Government of Nigeria has reacted to the threat by Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram, that it may be forced to exit the country over the recent $220 million fine slammed on it by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
In a post on its X platform late on Thursday, August 1, 2024, the Nigerian consumer protection agency described the threat to exit by Meta as a strategic move aimed at influencing public opinion and potentially pressuring the FCCPC to reconsider its decision.
It reaffirmed its earlier stance that the tech platform discriminated against Nigerian users compared to users in other jurisdictions and abused its dominant market position by forcing unfair privacy policies.
Trouble started when FCCPC fined Meta the sum of $220 million for an unauthorised appropriation of personal data without user consent, and discriminatory practices against Nigerian users.
Reacting to the fine, Meta has threatened that it may be forced to exit the country despite filling an appeal against the penalty imposed on it.
In the counter-reaction by the FCCPC, the statement reads:
“WhatsApp’s claim that it may be forced to exit Nigeria due to the FCCPC’s recent order appears to be a strategic move aimed at influencing public opinion and potentially pressuring the FCCPC to reconsider its decision.
“The FCCPC investigated Meta Platforms and WhatsApp (jointly referred to as “Meta Parties”) for allegedly violating the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation.
“The Commission found that Meta Parties engaged in multiple and repeated infringements of the FCCPA and the NDPR.
“These infringements included denying Nigerians the right to control their data, transferring and sharing Nigerian user data without authorisation, discriminating against Nigerian users compared to users in other jurisdictions, and abusing their dominant market position by forcing unfair privacy policies.”
The final directive stipulates that Meta Parties must conform to Nigerian legislation, discontinue exploitation of Nigerian consumers, align their practices with Nigerian standards, and uphold consumer rights.
To dissuade future transgressions and establish accountability for the purported violations, the FCCPC has levied a financial penalty of $220 million.
The actions taken by the FCCPC are founded on genuine apprehensions regarding consumer protection and data privacy. The directive represents a positive stride towards fostering an equitable digital marketplace in Nigeria. Comparable measures are implemented in other jurisdictions without necessitating the exit of companies from the market. Nigeria’s circumstances will be no different,” concluded the statement.