ABUJA, NIGERIA — Access to the popular social media platforms Facebook and Instagram may be disrupted for users in Nigeria following a statement from their parent company, Meta, citing substantial financial penalties and “unrealistic” regulatory demands imposed by Nigerian authorities.
Over the past year, three Nigerian regulatory bodies have levied fines totaling more than $290 million (£218 million) on the US-based technology conglomerate for alleged breaches of various national laws and regulations.
Meta’s recent attempt to contest these decisions in the Federal High Court in Abuja proved unsuccessful.
In its court filings, the company stated that “The applicant may be forced to effectively shut down the Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria in order to mitigate the risk of enforcement measures.” While Meta also owns the widely used messaging service WhatsApp, this platform was not mentioned in the company’s statement regarding potential service disruptions.
The Federal High Court has mandated that Meta settle the outstanding fines by the end of June.
The BBC has sought clarification from Meta regarding its intended next steps in light of this legal outcome but has yet to receive a response.
Facebook holds the position of the most widely used social media platform in Nigeria, serving tens of millions of individuals for daily communication and news dissemination. Furthermore, it functions as a critical tool for numerous small online businesses operating within the country.
The fines imposed on Meta in July of the previous year include:
- A $220 million penalty from the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) for alleged anti-competitive practices.
- A $37.5 million fine from the advertising regulator concerning unapproved advertising content.
- A $32.8 million fine from the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) for alleged violations of data privacy laws.
Adamu Abdullahi, the chief executive officer of the FCCPC, stated that joint investigations conducted with the data commission between May 2021 and December 2023 uncovered “invasive practices against data subjects/consumers in Nigeria”, though specific details of these practices were not disclosed.
In its submission to the court, Meta identified the NDPC as its “primary concern”, accusing the commission of “misinterpreting” national data privacy regulations.
Specifically, the NDPC has demanded that Meta obtain prior authorization before transferring any personal data outside of Nigeria – a condition that Meta has characterized as “unrealistic”.
In addition to this, the data commission has imposed other requirements on Meta.
The NDPC has mandated that Meta include an icon providing a link to educational videos addressing data privacy risks. The content of these videos would need to be developed in collaboration with government-approved educational institutions and non-profit organizations.
The NDPC has further insisted that these videos specifically highlight the dangers of “manipulative and unfair data processing” that could potentially expose Nigerian users to health and financial vulnerabilities.
Meta has deemed the NDPC’s demands as impractical, arguing that the agency has failed to “properly interpret the laws guiding data privacy”.
