Meta has announced plans to appeal the decision of Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal (CCPT) which upheld a $220 million fine imposed by Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) for alleged breaches of data privacy laws.
Gatekeepers News reports that the fine followed a 38-month investigation, conducted between 2021 and December 2023 by FCCPC in partnership with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC).
The probe uncovered issues such as unauthorised data sharing, lack of user consent mechanisms, and discriminatory practices that treated Nigerian consumers differently from users in other regions.
In July 2024, based on the investigation’s findings, FCCPC levied a $220 million fine on Meta and its subsidiary, WhatsApp, citing violations of Nigeria’s data protection and consumer rights laws. It also directed the companies to implement corrective measures to bring their operations in line with Nigerian regulations.
In a ruling delivered on Friday, the tribunal upheld the fine, confirming FCCPC’s authority and the validity of its investigative process. Additionally, Meta was ordered to pay $35,000 to cover investigation-related expenses.
Following the ruling, Meta expressed its disagreement in a statement issued on Saturday, announcing plans to appeal the decision and to file an application for a stay of execution to prevent any immediate impact on users.
Meta criticised the tribunal’s findings, arguing that the ruling contained inaccuracies about WhatsApp’s operations and misrepresented its data practices.
