The Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has reacted to Meta's threat of exiting WhatsApp from Nigeria in a tweet on Friday through its verified X handle. The FCCPC has accused Meta of stirring up public sentiment to pressure the Commission into reconsidering its decision.
WhatsApp's claim that it may be forced to exit Nigeria due to FCCPC's recent order appears to be a strategic move aimed at influencing public opinion and potentially pressuring the FCCPC to reconsider its decision.
The FCCPC investigated Meta Platforms and WhatsApp (jointly referred to as "Meta Parties") for allegedly violating the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR).
The Commission found that Meta Parties engaged in multiple and repeated infringements of the FCCPA and the NDPR. These infringements included denying Nigerians the right to control their personal data, transferring and sharing Nigerian user data without authorisation, discriminating against Nigerian users compared to users in other jurisdictions and abusing their dominant market position by forcing unfair privacy policies.
The final order requires Meta Parties to take steps to comply with Nigerian law, stop exploiting Nigerian consumers, change their practices to meet Nigerian standards and respect consumer rights.
To deter future violations and ensure accountability for the alleged infringements the FCCPC also imposed a monetary penalty of $220 million.
The FCCPC's actions are based on legitimate concerns about consumer protection and data privacy and the order is a positive step towards a fairer digital market in Nigeria. Similar measures are taken in other jurisdictions without forcing companies to leave the market. The case of Nigeria will not be different.
The backstory is that the FCCPC investigated Meta, the company behind WhatsApp, for breaking some important Nigerian laws. These laws protect competition, consumer rights, and data privacy. The investigation found that Meta had repeatedly violated these laws by doing things like denying Nigerians control over their personal data, sharing user data without permission, treating Nigerian users unfairly compared to those in other countries, and using its powerful position to impose unfair privacy policies.
As a result, the FCCPC issued a final order requiring Meta to comply with Nigerian laws, stop exploiting Nigerian consumers, and respect their rights. To make sure Meta takes this seriously, the FCCPC also fined them $220 million.
The FCCPC's actions are rooted in genuine concerns about protecting Nigerian consumers and ensuring data privacy. Similar measures have been taken in other countries without companies having to leave the market, and the FCCPC believes Nigeria won't be any different.