National Telescope national telescope newspaper
By Funmi Ojo
WhatsApp, a subsidiary of Meta, has announced its intention to appeal the $220 million fine imposed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) for violating Nigeria’s data privacy laws.
In a statement released to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos, WhatsApp expressed its disagreement with the FCCPC’s decision and the substantial fine, declaring its intent to challenge the ruling in court.
The FCCPC accused Meta of denying Nigerian users control over their data, sharing user data without consent, and abusing its market dominance.
As a result, the commission’s final order imposed a monetary penalty of $220 million on Meta, in accordance with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection (Administrative Penalties) Regulations 2020.
The FCCPC’s investigation, which began in May 2021, uncovered evidence of Meta engaging in practices that were abusive and invasive towards data consumers in Nigeria.
This included collecting personal data without consent and implementing discriminatory practices against Nigerians.
In response to the fine, Meta asserted that it has been transparent in its data collection practices and has provided users with control over their data.
The company also emphasised the popularity of its business messaging feature, which allows users to communicate with businesses on its platform, suggesting that its practices are in line with user expectations and regulatory standards.
Meta’s appeal will be heard by the Federal Court of Appeal in the coming weeks. The outcome of this appeal will be closely watched as it could have significant implications for data privacy enforcement and corporate practices in Nigeria.
