According to WhatsApp, Meta, the company’s parent body, will file an appeal against the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission’s (FCCPC) $220 million penalties for breaking Nigeria’s data privacy rules.
This was said by the company WhatsApp in a statement that was provided to the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday in Lagos. It stated: “Meta will be appealing the ruling since we disagree with both the fine and the conclusion made today.
“While there was a lot of confusion when we first went out to users globally in 2021 to explain how talking to businesses would work, it has proven quite popular.”
Read also: Nigeria’s FCCPC fines Meta $220 million over ‘discriminatory practices’
Background of the story
According to NAN, the response came in response to a statement issued by the FCCPC, signed by Adamu Abdullahi, the acting executive chairman, and claimed that Meta had refused to give Nigerian consumers access to their data.
The FCCPC claimed that Meta had used its market dominance and exchanged user data without permission.
The media-released statement claimed that Meta was subject to a monetary penalty of only $220 million due to the FCCPC’s final order.
According to the statement, the fine complies with Federal Competition and Consumer Protection (Administrative Penalties) Regulations 2020 and the FCCPA 2018.
Based on information indicating that Meta had violated the terms of the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation 2019 and the FCCPA 2018 through its platforms, the FCCPC declared in May 2021 that it had opened an investigation.
It said that these rules were in force before the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 was passed and put into force.
The Competition Protection Board observed that Meta supplied certain information in response to document demands and summonses.
It said that, up to April 4, 2024, Meta’s representatives and hired legal counsel had regularly communicated with and met with investigators and analysts from the commission and the NDPC.
The FCCPC emphasised that during its inquiry, it found evidence that Meta was abusing and invading Nigeria data users.
Among other things, this involved discriminatory behaviours against Nigerians and the unauthorised collection of personal data.
Read also: Court dismisses Nigeria’s government lawsuit against Meta
About Meta
Located in Menlo Park, California, Meta Platforms, Inc. is doing business as Meta, an international technological company of American origin. Founded by Mark Zuckerberg and his college roommates in 2004, the company initially launched as Facebook, a social networking service. Over the years, Meta has grown into one of the world’s largest technology conglomerates.
In addition to owning and operating the social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp, Meta is heavily invested in developing virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies through its Reality Labs division. This includes the Oculus VR headsets and related software.
Meta’s business model primarily revolves around advertising, leveraging the vast amounts of data its users generate to provide targeted advertising solutions to businesses. The company is also exploring other areas, such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain technology, and the metaverse, which is envisioned as a collective virtual shared space.
Meta’s initiatives reflect its mission to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together despite facing scrutiny and regulatory challenges related to privacy, data security, and content moderation.