$220m Fine: Meta Threatens to Shut Down Facebook, Instagram in Nigeria

Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has signaled a possible exit from Nigeria following mounting regulatory sanctions totaling hundreds of millions of dollars.

In a recent court filing obtained by the BBC, Meta warned that it may be forced to discontinue Facebook and Instagram operations in Nigeria if current enforcement actions proceed. This comes after the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) imposed a $220 million fine on the company on July 19, 2024, citing serious violations of data privacy laws.

The fine was the result of a 38-month investigation jointly carried out by the FCCPC and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), focusing on the data practices of both Meta and WhatsApp. While WhatsApp was a subject of the probe, it was not mentioned in the latest court documents regarding potential service suspension.

Meta has since appealed the fine, but on April 25, a competition and consumer protection tribunal upheld the $220 million sanction, giving Meta until the end of June to comply.

In its court filing, Meta warned that it might need to “effectively shut down the Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria” to avoid further enforcement actions, signaling growing tension between the tech giant and Nigerian regulators.

Meta has strongly contested the interpretation of Nigeria’s data laws by the NDPC. In addition to the FCCPC’s penalty, the NDPC imposed a separate $32.8 million fine, while the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) added another $37.5 million over alleged unapproved ads.

One of the most contentious issues is the NDPC’s demand that Meta secure prior approval before transferring Nigerian users’ data abroad — a policy the company called “unrealistic.” The commission also directed Meta to produce educational content on data privacy risks in collaboration with approved institutions and NGOs, with the content accessible through a designated icon on its platforms.

Meta rejected these conditions, labeling them “unworkable” and accusing regulators of misapplying the law.

The FCCPC maintains that all fines were based on findings from an investigation conducted between May 2021 and December 2023 in partnership with the NDPC.

As of now, Meta has not released any official public statement on the potential shutdown or its next course of action.