Nigeria Fines Meta $220M for Privacy Violations

Nigeria's Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has fined Meta $220 million for breaching data and privacy laws through WhatsApp's May 2021 privacy policy update. The FCCPC's investigation revealed that Meta imposed unfair terms on Nigerian users, engaged in unauthorized data sharing, and exhibited discriminatory practices compared to other jurisdictions. Meta’s proposed remedies were deemed inadequate, and the company has been ordered to comply with local data protection laws and halt the sharing of user information with other Facebook entities. Meta has announced its intention to appeal the decision, maintaining that the privacy policy update was misunderstood but popular globally. This action follows similar regulatory challenges Meta faces in other countries, including Brazil.