Arise News reports:
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has taken a firm stance against tech giant Meta Platforms and its subsidiary, WhatsApp, warning that threats to withdraw services from Nigeria will not excuse the company from legal accountability.
In a strongly-worded statement issued by Ondaje Ijagwu, Director of Corporate Affairs at the FCCPC, the Commission described Meta’s reported claim that it may be forced to exit Nigeria as a “calculated move aimed at inducing negative public reaction and potentially pressuring the FCCPC to reconsider its decision.”
The Commission had earlier investigated Meta and WhatsApp—referred to in the statement as “Meta Parties”—over alleged violations of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR).
According to the FCCPC, it found that “Meta Parties engaged in multiple and repeated infringements of the FCCPA (2018) and the NDPR.” These alleged breaches included denying Nigerians control over their personal data, unauthorised data sharing, discriminatory treatment of Nigerian users compared to other regions, and “abusing their dominant market position by forcing unfair privacy policies.”
Read more at Arise News.