Nigeria has imposed a $220 million fine on Meta, the parent company of Facebook and WhatsApp, for "numerous and repeated" violations.
The country's Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) accused Meta of violating data protection laws and consumer rights on Facebook and WhatsApp, AFP reports.
FCCPC chief executive Adamu Abdullahi said investigations the commission conducted with the Nigerian Data Protection Commission between May 2021 and December 2023 showed that Meta had engaged in "invasive practices against data subjects/consumers in Nigeria."
Abdullahi accused Meta of discriminatory practices, abuse of market dominance, sharing personal data of Nigerians without permission and depriving Nigerians of the right to determine how their data is used.
In addition to the hefty fine, the FCCPC boss urged the group to "comply with existing laws and cease its exploitation of Nigerian consumers and market abuse."
He ordered the company to "refrain from future similar or other conduct/practices that do not meet nationally applicable standards."
Meta did not immediately respond to a request for a response to the fine. But the FCCPC said the company is aware of its 38-month investigation.
About three-quarters of the 200 million people in Africa's most populous country are under the age of 24, a generation that is also hyperconnected to social media.
According to figures published by the National Communications Commission (NCC) on its website, there were about 164.3 million internet subscribers in the country as of March.
Meta's platforms-WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram-are among the most popular social media platforms in the country.
Communications and Digital Economy Minister Bosun Tijani said in December that there were "over 51 million WhatsApp users" in Nigeria.
In early July, the European Union (EU) accused Meta of violating the bloc's digital rules, paving the way for potential fines worth billions of euros. | BGNES
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