Nigeria’s Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal has upheld a $220 million fine against Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and WhatsApp, for violating the country’s data protection and consumer rights laws. The tribunal also ordered Meta and WhatsApp to pay an additional $35,000 to reimburse the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) for investigative costs. Both penalties must be paid within 60 days.
The FCCPC’s investigation, conducted jointly with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, began in 2020 and spanned 38 months. Regulators found that Meta and WhatsApp engaged in unauthorized data sharing, discriminatory handling of Nigerian users’ information, and exploitative practices that breached constitutional privacy guarantees. The Commission argued these actions gave unauthorized access to personal data and treated Nigerian users differently from those in other regions.
Meta and WhatsApp challenged the FCCPC’s penalty, arguing that the directives were vague, technically impossible to implement, and not grounded in Nigerian law. They also claimed they were not given a fair hearing or a clear explanation of how the fine was calculated. However, the tribunal, led by Thomas Okosun, dismissed the appeal, stating that Meta was given ample opportunity to defend itself and that the FCCPC acted fully within its legal mandate.
“The tribunal finds that the FCCPC did not exceed its powers while making orders with respect to data protection. The appellants were given ample opportunity to be heard,” said Okosun.
Beyond the financial penalties, the tribunal issued several directives to Meta and WhatsApp:
Restore Nigerian users’ right to control how their data is shared.
Cease all data sharing between WhatsApp and Facebook or third parties unless explicit user consent is obtained.
Revert to the 2016 data-sharing policy for Nigerian users.
Submit a compliance letter to the FCCPC and Nigeria Data Protection Commission by July 1, 2025.
Provide and publish a revised user data policy within 10 days.
This ruling adds to Meta’s growing list of regulatory challenges worldwide. The company is currently facing similar fines in the European Union for data privacy violations. Nigeria, with over 164 million internet subscriptions as of March 2025, is one of Meta’s largest markets in Africa, making this decision particularly significant for the tech giant’s operations on the continent.
FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman, Tunji Bello, hailed the judgment as a victory for Nigerian consumers and a clear message that no company is above the law.
Meta has denied any wrongdoing and expressed disagreement with the ruling, but must comply with the tribunal’s orders by the end of June 2025.
