The standoff between Meta and the Nigerian authorities is intensifying. Sentenced to a record fine for violating data protection and competition laws, the American giant is threatening to leave the country.  

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, is threatening to suspend its services in Nigeria after a court upheld its $220 million fine. The penalty stems from a 38-month joint investigation by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC), which uncovered violations of local data protection and competition laws. 

In a statement released on Friday, May 3, the FCCPC, an independent authority under the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, strongly rejected the threat, calling it a “calculated move” aimed at provoking an adverse public reaction and pressuring authorities to change their decision. It reiterated that “threatening to leave Nigeria does not absolve Meta of its legal responsibilities,” while reaffirming its commitment to ensuring a fair digital market and defending consumer rights. 

The investigation, the findings of which led to Meta’s conviction last July, found that the company and its subsidiary WhatsApp had transferred data without consent, restricted users’ rights to their personal information, imposed unfair privacy policies, and abused their dominant market position. The High Court set a deadline of the end of June for Meta to pay the fines. 

The FCCPC also noted that, unlike other countries such as the United States, the European Union, India, South Korea, France, and Australia, where Meta has already been sanctioned, the company has never threatened to withdraw and has always complied with court orders. Nigeria, according to the authority, will be no exception. 

This case underscores the urgent need for African countries to strengthen their data protection frameworks, at a time when personal information is a strategic lever in the digital economy. To ensure their digital sovereignty, African states must implement robust regulations and strict oversight mechanisms to compel technology companies to respect user rights and contribute to a more equitable and transparent digital ecosystem. 

Source: Agency EcoFin