By Salawatu Zuberu
Meta Accused of PR Tactics as Nigeria Upholds $220 Million Fine
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has come under fire in Nigeria for allegedly orchestrating a negative public relations campaign aimed at pressuring authorities, following its threat to withdraw its services from the country over a $220 million fine.
The fine, issued in 2023 by Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), cited Meta for alleged breaches of the country’s competition regulations. Meta challenged the penalty in court, but a Federal High Court in Abuja has now dismissed the company’s appeal, effectively upholding the sanction.
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In addition to the FCCPC’s ruling, Meta faces further regulatory scrutiny in Nigeria. The Nigerian Data Protection Commission and the national advertising regulator have also accused the tech giant of multiple data-related and compliance violations.
Meta, however, has pushed back against these charges, accusing Nigerian regulatory bodies of misinterpreting legal provisions and acting unfairly. In a statement, the company warned that it “may be forced to effectively shut down the Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria to mitigate the risk of enforcement actions.”
Interestingly, Meta has not extended this shutdown threat to WhatsApp, another of its widely used platforms in the country.
The escalating dispute highlights growing tensions between global tech firms and African governments over data governance, regulatory compliance, and market competition.