Meta has threatened to suspend Facebook and Instagram in Nigeria over “unrealistic” regulatory demands from the Nigerian authorities and nearly $290 million in fines from three government agencies.
The warning follows a failed legal challenge to penalties that Nigerian authorities insist must be paid by the end of June 2025.
In a statement released in July 2024, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) accused Meta of violating local consumer and data protection laws by exchanging data on Facebook and WhatsApp.
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) imposed a $220m fine for alleged anti-competitive practices, the advertising regulator fined the company $37.5m over unapproved advertising, and the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) alleged Meta had violated data privacy laws and fined it $32.8m.
Meta was unsuccessful in a recent attempt to challenge the decisions in the federal high court in Abuja. “The applicant may be forced to effectively shut down the Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria in order to mitigate the risk of enforcement measures,” the company said in the court papers.
Meta has maintained that it is impossible and inconsistent with data protection rules to adhere to NDPC requirements, which include demanding prior consent for cross-border transfers of personal data.
Additionally, Meta was ordered by the NDPC to include a symbol that would link to government-approved educational videos on data-related concerns, but the company decided this was not practicable. No details have been supplied, although investigations have shown “invasive practices” against consumers.
With tens of millions of users, Facebook is by far the most widely utilized social media network in Nigeria for news sharing and everyday conversation. Many others also utilize the platforms for online business. This makes the potential shutdown a big threat to the country’s digital economy and socio-economic development.
