Meta Platforms, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, has lost its appeal against a $220 million fine imposed by Nigeria’s competition watchdog.
The country’s Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal (FCCPC) announced the development on Friday. The regulator had fined Meta last year following probes that indicated that data-sharing on Meta platforms violated Nigeria’s local consumer, privacy, and data protection laws.
Meta has yet to comment on the judgement.
According to the FCCPC, Meta appropriated Nigerian users’ data on its platforms without their consent. The regulator accused the tech giant of leveraging its market dominance to enforce exploitative privacy policies, and subjecting Nigerians to discriminatory treatment compared to users in other countries with similar regulatory frameworks.
The investigation into the company’s data-sharing practices had taken more than three years. It also involved the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC).
“Being satisfied with the significant evidence on the record, and that Meta has been provided every opportunity to articulate any position, representations, refutations, explanations or defences of their conduct, the Commission have now entered a final order and issued a penalty against Meta,” FCCPC Chief Abdullahi had said.
