On July 20th, the Nigerian government levied a hefty fine of $2.2 million (approximately 1.6 billion yuan) on Meta, the parent company of Facebook and WhatsApp, according to a report from The Associated Press. This fine follows an investigation that revealed Meta’s violation of the country’s data protection and consumer rights laws on multiple occasions.
The fine follows an investigation that reveals Meta’s violation of the country’s data protection
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission of Nigeria (FCCPC) outlined some of the specific violations identified during their investigation. These included unauthorized sharing of Nigerian user data, depriving consumers of the right to control their own data, engaging in discriminatory practices, and abusing its market dominance.
In a statement, FCCPC CEO Adamu Abdullahi declared the commission’s satisfaction with the gathered evidence and confirmed that Meta had ample opportunity to address the concerns. “The committee has now entered the final order and punished the Meta Party,” Abdullahi concluded.
This hefty fine comes on the heels of another penalty Meta faced last month. In June, the Italian Antitrust Authority (AGCM) imposed a €3.5 million (approximately 27.74 million yuan) fine on Meta for unfair business practices. The AGCM investigation revealed that Meta did not explicitly obtain user consent for collecting and using data for commercial purposes during the Instagram registration process. Additionally, the Italian regulator found that Meta failed to provide users with proper communication channels to contest suspended Facebook and Instagram accounts. While the AGCM reported that Meta has since rectified these practices, the consequences of these policy violations are becoming increasingly clear.
(Via)
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