Meta threatens to shut down operations in Nigeria over $290 million fine

• Meta threatens to shut down operations in Nigeria over a $290 million fine.

• The fine was imposed by Nigerian regulators for violating data protection and consumer rights laws.

• Meta’s social media platforms, including WhatsApp and Facebook, are popular in Nigeria.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has threatened to shut down its operations in Nigeria after a tribunal insisted that it must pay a $290.3 million fine for violating the country’s data protection and consumer rights laws.

The fine was imposed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and other regulators.

READ ALSO: Meta, WhatsApp Slapped with $220m Fine for Violating Nigerian Data Protection Laws

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The FCCPC’s chief executive officer, Adamu Abdullahi, said investigations revealed “invasive practices against data subjects/consumers in Nigeria.” Abdullahi accused Meta of discriminatory practices, abuse of market dominance, sharing Nigerians’ data without authorisation, and denying Nigerians the right to determine how their data are used.

“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,” Meta said in court papers.

A WhatsApp spokesperson said, “We disagree with this decision as well as the fine.” Meta is facing similar challenges in Europe, where it was fined 200 million euros over its “pay or consent” system.