The parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, Meta Platforms Inc., has issued a warning that it might have to stop Facebook and Instagram operations in Nigeria despite rising regulatory pressures and labeling government requests as “unrealistic.”
A court document obtained by the BBC revealed this warning. The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) of Nigeria is currently contesting a $ 220 million fine for allegedly violating data privacy.
The FCCPC and the NDPC conducted a 38-month collaborative investigation into Meta’s and WhatsApp’s data handling practices.
Meta has vowed to file an appeal in spite of the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal’s decision to uphold the fine up until the end of June.
According to Meta, it may need to “effectively shut down the Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria” in order to “mitigate the risk of enforcement measures.”
Notably, the court document does not make any mention of WhatsApp.
The NDPC, which the company claims misinterprets, is one of Meta’s main concerns.
The NDPC fined Meta $32.8 million for alleged privacy breaches, while the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) imposed a separate $37.5 million fine for what it called unapproved advertising content.
One of the regulatory requirements, which the company describes as “unrealistic,” is that Meta must first obtain prior approval before sending Nigerian users’ data abroad.
Additionally, the NDPC has mandated that Meta create and display educational content on data privacy risks via a dedicated icon on its platforms.
These videos must address manipulative and unfair data processing practices because they must be co-produced with approved organizations and non-profits.
Meta has criticized these directives, calling them “unworkable” and alleging that Nigerian authorities have broken the law in question.
Source: Per Second News
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