In a statement by its Director, Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu on Saturday in Abuja, FCCPC said the Meta Parties should take steps to comply with Nigeria’s law.
Ijagwu said the threat was a calculated move aimed at inducing negative public reaction and potentially pressuring the FCCPC to reconsider its decision.
According to him, the recent affirmation of FCCPC’s final order by the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal required Meta Parties to stop exploiting Nigerian consumers, and change their practices to meet Nigerian standards consistent with international best practices.
DAILY POST recalls that Ijagwu said the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal had awarded 220 million dollars against Meta Platforms Incorporated and WhatsApp LLC as an administrative penalty for the violations.
Meta had threatened to shut down its Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria in protest of the large fines imposed by multiple government agencies.
It will also be recalled that the tribunal further awarded 35,000 dollars to the FCCPC as cost of investigation.
”The FCCPC investigated Meta Platforms and WhatsApp (jointly referred to as “Meta Parties”) for allegedly violating the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, FCCPA, and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation, NDPR.
”The Commission found that Meta Parties engaged in multiple and repeated infringements of the FCCPA (2018) and the NDPR.
”These infringements include denying Nigerians the right to control their personal data, transferring and sharing Nigerian user data without authorisation.
”Others are discriminating against Nigerian users compared to users in other jurisdictions and abusing their dominant market position by forcing unfair privacy policies,” he said.
According to Ijagwu, Meta had been fined for similar breaches in Texas (1.5 billion dollars ) and only recently was asked to pay 1.3 billion dollars for violating European Union, EU, Data Privacy Rules.
He reiterated that Meta had faced penalties in India, South Korea, France and Australia for similar breaches.
The Commission’s director further stated that Meta never resorted to the blackmail of threatening to exit those countries rather, they obeyed.
He expressed the Commission’s commitment in its pursuit of consumer protection and data privacy toward ensuring a fairer digital market in the country.
According to him, the recent affirmation of FCCPC’s final order by the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal required Meta Parties to stop exploiting Nigerian consumers, and change their practices to meet Nigerian standards consistent with international best practices.
DAILY POST recalls that Ijagwu said the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal had awarded 220 million dollars against Meta Platforms Incorporated and WhatsApp LLC as an administrative penalty for the violations.
Meta had threatened to shut down its Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria in protest of the large fines imposed by multiple government agencies.
It will also be recalled that the tribunal further awarded 35,000 dollars to the FCCPC as cost of investigation.
”The FCCPC investigated Meta Platforms and WhatsApp (jointly referred to as “Meta Parties”) for allegedly violating the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, FCCPA, and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation, NDPR.
”The Commission found that Meta Parties engaged in multiple and repeated infringements of the FCCPA (2018) and the NDPR.
”These infringements include denying Nigerians the right to control their personal data, transferring and sharing Nigerian user data without authorisation.
”Others are discriminating against Nigerian users compared to users in other jurisdictions and abusing their dominant market position by forcing unfair privacy policies,” he said.
According to Ijagwu, Meta had been fined for similar breaches in Texas (1.5 billion dollars ) and only recently was asked to pay 1.3 billion dollars for violating European Union, EU, Data Privacy Rules.
He reiterated that Meta had faced penalties in India, South Korea, France and Australia for similar breaches.
The Commission’s director further stated that Meta never resorted to the blackmail of threatening to exit those countries rather, they obeyed.
He expressed the Commission’s commitment in its pursuit of consumer protection and data privacy toward ensuring a fairer digital market in the country.
from dailypost
Na una masses go lose las las. Sometimes, there are some things you need to just fashy for the greater good of the people. Your people that you’ve created no jobs for need meta more than meta needs them
ReplyDeleteDid you read the post at all?
DeleteSo the government should allow them to keep violating the privacy of Nigerians plus other offences they committed just because there are no jobs? Do you know what you are saying? In Switzerland where you are is that how they operate?
12:44, if English comprehension is ur problem, take it up with ur primary school teacher
DeleteI advice WhatsApp not give up it's ground to apps like telegram. Fubara - friendly advice could cause investors billions. Even with this threat, wise businesses are already having a second address. From the lackluster performance of threads to Google's advancement with Google messages and telegram's hands off approach, Meta knows it's best to avoid rough play.
DeletePlease they should beg federal government reduce they are fines for Facebook because Facebook feed 89 percent of this country our Govt do nothing to people they find mix to collect from the citizens Government should negotiate with Facebook
DeleteMeta should leave. In a couple of months, same Government will beg them to come back. They need Meta for their campaign…2027 is round the corner. So many Mgbekes waiting to be used.
DeleteOdi egwu
ReplyDeleteThe Nigerian agency should not bulge, see blackmail. Dem don see us finish because of our corrupt leaders.
ReplyDeleteSee empty threats, let them exit the country if they born dem well. Where will they get all the billions that they generate here yearly?
Ku ise oh
DeleteThey should not bulge.
DeleteWe should stop allowing these people to exploit us, from what I read above, they don't do so in other countries.
APC just messed up this country.
DeleteMake nothing do whatsapp ooo. Na there I dey catch my cruise.
ReplyDeleteWe have been catching cruise long before WhatsApp and we will continue to catch cruise when they leave, soldiers go soldier come.
DeleteThere are many social media platforms and many more will still come
I stand with FG
Those app where are they now
DeleteMake.i finish this audit report wey dem dey send me report via WhatsApp.
DeleteMake Them no Try Am
ReplyDeleteWhatapp wey Be My Market Place ...
Hello iya Boys
I think they should come to a round table meeting to sort out their issues, if they eventually leave, it will affect both parties.
ReplyDeleteSo they going to let go of 200 million subscribers. If they aren’t letting go of Eurozone with it many countries of far lower populations who are fining them, it’s Nigeria they are going to let go of. Mtsscchhwww
ReplyDeleteI haven’t been on IG in months and every damn day they send me an email reminding me to come back. Same ppl who only focus on their users with huge followings, hounding me daily with my less than 100 followers. Make it make sense. I realize their business model, without real active live ppl on their platform it’s good as dead. The place is full of bots, they are desperate for humans. Why would they be hounding me to come back and I am not a significant user with respect to posts or users, I have not posted in over a year. They need ppl on their platform, if even to watch the ads alone. Next step is to delete my page. Many ppl are quietly leaving social media. The business ppl, activists, those selling themselves or services, and scammers are mostly the ones still actively on it. Folks are over the eye strain, anxiety and brain reconfiguration that social media does to them, and they don’t want to have Ai tested on them undercover.
Both of them should settle
ReplyDeleteMeta thinks they can bully Nigeria because it is an African countries. If Facebook is not subject to stringent laws of the land they want to get away with everything and generate billions for themselves. Influence policies and politics, breach data privacy while their CEO cherished his own privacy. The EU is coming real hard on them on so many issues, if they can't cooperate let them remain in Trump America who cares.
ReplyDeleteBoth sides should sort this out as both parties need one another
ReplyDeleteBut why didn't they threaten to exit operation in other countries where they were accused of thesame crime?
ReplyDeleteAre they threatening to leave as s result of the excess taxing by the Nigerian government or as a result of this accusation of breach of it's consumers privacy? Let me hear the official statement by Meta first because I don't trust this 9ja government.
Hello 2go. What's cracking?
ReplyDeleteObi for president
Wizkid FC
Proudly Tiv
When you don’t respect yourself, you expect others to respect you. Why did they not threaten to live other countries? They kuku know say that anything goes here. I won’t be surprised if some people didn’t ask them for money to buy their way out of the situation. The way that American crypto guy was treated and his allegations against top politicians are still there.
ReplyDeleteNaija citizens go lose o.
ReplyDelete