Nigeria Slaps $220M Fine on Meta for Data Violations

Nigeria fined Meta Platforms $220 million for violating local data protection and privacy laws. The FCCPC found Meta guilty of unauthorized data sharing, discriminatory policies, and lack of user consent. The investigation, conducted with the Data Protection Commission, revealed repeated data infringements over 38 months.

Nigeria has imposed a $220 million fine on Meta Platforms, announced the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) on Friday. The investigation revealed that Meta engaged in unauthorized data-sharing practices, infringing upon local consumer, data protection, and privacy laws.

The FCCPC chief Adamu Abdullahi stated that Meta exploited Nigerian users' data without their consent and imposed discriminatory privacy policies. The findings were the result of a 38-month investigation conducted in collaboration with Nigeria's Data Protection Commission.

Despite being provided opportunities to explain or defend its actions, Meta's invasive and abusive practices were documented. Consequently, a final order has been issued, outlining steps for Meta to comply with local regulations. Recently, Meta faced similar scrutiny in Europe and Turkey.

(With inputs from agencies.)