Key Takeaways
- Nigeria fined Meta $220 million for violating local laws and misappropriating user data on Facebook and WhatsApp platforms.
- Meta was fined for abusing its dominant market position and treating Nigerians in a discriminatory and unequal manner compared to other jurisdictions.
- European regulators have repeatedly fined Meta for personal data confidentiality issues, with Ireland imposing a record 1.2 billion euros fine.
Abuja: Nigeria’s Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) said it has fined Meta $220 million for violating local consumer and data protection laws after concluding an investigation into data sharing on Facebook and WhatsApp platforms.
“The Final order imposes a monetary penalty of Two Hundred and Twenty Million U.S. Dollars only ($220,000,000.00),” the commission said in its press release.
Meta misappropriated the data of Nigerian users on its platforms without their consent, abused its dominant market position, and treated Nigerians in a discriminatory and unequal manner compared to other jurisdictions with similar rules, the press release said.
European regulators have repeatedly fined the company for personal data confidentiality issues. Ireland fined Meta a record 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) for violations related to the transfer of personal data from the European Union to the United States.
