The Nigerian government has fined Meta, the owners of Facebook and WhatsApp, the sum of $220 million for violating consumers and data breaches.
This was confirmed in a statement on Friday, signed by Adamu Abdullahi the acting Executive Vice Chairman of Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC.
Abdullahi noted that the data-sharing on social platforms violated local consumer, data protection and privacy laws.
The commission said Meta appropriated the data of Nigerian users on its platforms without their consent, abused its market dominance by forcing exploitative privacy policies on users, and meted out discriminatory and disparate treatment on Nigerians, compared with other jurisdictions with similar regulations.
The commission chief, Abdullahi explained that the investigations were jointly held with Nigeria’s Data Protection Commission and spanned over 38 months.
The investigations found Meta policies don’t allow users the option or opportunity to self-determine or withhold consent to the gathering, use, and sharing of personal data.
“The totality of the investigation has concluded that Meta over the protracted period has engaged in conduct that constituted multiple and repeated, as well as continuing infringements… particularly, but not limited to abusive, and invasive practices against data subjects in Nigeria,” Abdullahi said.
“Being satisfied with the significant evidence on the record, and that Meta has been provided every opportunity to articulate any position, representations, refutations, explanations or defenses of their conduct, the Commission has now entered a final order and issued a penalty against Meta,” Abdullahi said.
