The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has issued a firm response to recent claims by WhatsApp, a subsidiary of Meta Platforms, that it may be forced to leave Nigeria. In a statement released on Saturday, the FCCPC declared that such a move does not exempt Meta from legal responsibility for its alleged violations of Nigerian laws.
The Commission accused Meta Platforms and WhatsApp of breaching the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR). The infractions include unauthorized data transfers, denial of Nigerians’ rights over their personal data, discriminatory practices, and abuse of market dominance through unfair privacy policies.
According to the FCCPC, these actions amount to repeated and serious violations. The Commission compared the situation to similar regulatory actions in other countries. In the U.S., Meta paid a $1.5 billion fine in Texas, and in Europe, the company was recently fined $1.3 billion for breaching EU data privacy laws. Despite facing penalties in India, South Korea, France, and Australia, Meta has never before threatened to exit a market in response to regulatory enforcement, the FCCPC noted.
The statement emphasized that the recent ruling by the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal affirms FCCPC’s directives and requires Meta to align with Nigerian consumer protection standards and data privacy laws. The FCCPC warned that threats of leaving Nigeria amount to blackmail and will not negate Meta’s legal obligations.
“For the avoidance of doubt,” the FCCPC wrote, “the FCCPC remains committed in its pursuit of consumer protection and data privacy towards ensuring a fairer digital market in Nigeria.”
The statement was signed by Ondaje Ijagwu, Director of Corporate Affairs at the FCCPC.
