Nigerian Government Responds to Meta’s Shutdown Threat, Insists on Legal Compliance
The Federal Government of Nigeria has responded firmly to Meta’s recent threat to shut down its services in the country, asserting that the company must comply with national laws and cannot evade the consequences of legal proceedings.
In a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja, Ondaje Ijagwu, Director of Corporate Affairs at the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), accused Meta – the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp – of attempting to manipulate public opinion with its threat, following a $220 million fine imposed for alleged violations of Nigerian laws.
Ijagwu noted that the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal had upheld the FCCPC’s final order, which found Meta Platforms Inc. and WhatsApp LLC (collectively referred to as the “Meta Parties”) guilty of repeated breaches of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR).
According to the FCCPC, the violations include unauthorized transfer of Nigerian user data, denial of data control rights, discriminatory practices against Nigerian users compared to other regions, and abuse of market dominance through unfair privacy policies.
In addition to the administrative fine, the tribunal awarded the FCCPC $35,000 to cover the cost of its investigation.
Ijagwu highlighted that Meta has faced similar sanctions in multiple countries, including a $1.5 billion penalty in Texas and a recent $1.3 billion fine in the European Union for data privacy violations. He noted that despite these fines, Meta did not threaten to withdraw from those jurisdictions, instead choosing to comply.
“The threat to exit Nigeria is a calculated attempt to pressure the Commission and influence public sentiment. It will not absolve Meta from the outcome of the legal process,” Ijagwu said.
He reiterated the FCCPC’s commitment to protecting Nigerian consumers and ensuring data privacy, stressing that the country would not tolerate digital practices that fall below international standards.
