WhatsApp’s Parent Company, Meta, to Appeal $220 Million Fine in Nigeria
WhatsApp’s parent company, Meta, has announced that it will appeal a $220 million fine imposed by Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) for violating the country’s data privacy laws.
The fine was announced on Saturday in Lagos by the FCCPC, which accused Meta of denying Nigerian users control over their data and sharing it without consent. The organization also alleged that Meta abused its market dominance in the country.
In a statement, Meta said it disagreed with the decision and would appeal the fine. “We went to users globally to explain how talking to businesses among other things would work and while there was a lot of confusion then, it has actually proven quite popular,” the company said.
The FCCPC began its investigation in May 2021 after evidence suggested that Meta had breached provisions of the FCCPA 2018 and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation 2019. The commission highlighted that Meta’s practices in Nigeria were abusive and invasive towards data consumers, including collecting personal data without consent and implementing discriminatory practices against Nigerians.
Meta, which owns and operates Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp among other products and services, has consistently engaged with investigators and analysts from the commission and the NDPC, including as recently as April 4, 2024.
