We’re ready for Meta’s challenge of $220m fine, says FCCPC

Adamu Abdullahi, acting executive vice-chairman (EVC) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), says the agency is ready for Meta’s challenge of the $220 million fine.

Meta is the parent company of WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram.

Abdullahi spoke on Tuesday at a news conference in Abuja.

On July 19, FCCPC imposed a $220 million fine against Meta for multiple violations of data privacy.

However, Meta said it will appeal the fine.

Speaking to journalists, the acting EVC said Meta was fined because of the discriminatory practices and sanctionable offences committed by the company.

Abdullahi said Meta and WhatsApp were found culpable of denying Nigerian data subjects the right to self-determination, and unauthorised transfer and sharing of personal data which was not the practice in other climes.

He said the companies gave options to data subjects in other climes to decide whether their data would be shared or not.

”Only last week, FCCPC issued a final order and imposed a monetary penalty of $220,000,000.00 (Two Hundred and Twenty Million USD) against Meta Platforms Inc. and WhatsApp LLC over discriminatory practices in Nigeria,” he said.

”This is an investigation that has taken place for the past three years and I was part of it.

”We found out that when you register for the first time to join WhatsApp, there is a column that says you have agreed for your data to be shared for research.

“That is opposed to other climes where you have the choice of saying yes or no, which is discriminatory at the first instance.

“Secondly, we found out that they share our data across platforms.

“We did not run away from our responsibility then, we wouldn’t run away now. They have made it abundantly clear that they are going to challenge that fine, of course, and we are ready for them. 

“We believe that the right thing must be done. If they feel that that sanction is not proper, or by any chance they want to challenge it by all means, it’s their right.

“We don’t think that since we have now given that final order, we’ll just play it back and allow the multinational to have its way.

“A 116-page report is there to support that an infringement has occurred. They may challenge it all the way they can, and we’ll also go and defend it. So, of course, they will normally end up in court.

“We are ready for whatever discussions we are going to hold.”

He further said the commission was already getting international accolades for the investigation and sanction.

”We are getting international accolades that at last, there is a competition authority in Africa that is standing against all these anti-competitive practices by multi-national agencies,” Abdullahi said.

He said FCCPC introduced sensitisation for traditional and religious leaders and other stakeholders to enhance capacity and empower them as consumer protection agents in their localities.

According to him, the most common consumer complaints in the electricity industry include exploitative billing, unlawful disconnection, non-metering of customers, lack of transformers and other salient issues.

”Given the relevance of electricity as a critical utility, the commission prioritised intervention in the industry to tackle prevailing issues and improve service delivery,” he said. 

“This we did by implementing various programmes and initiatives aimed at promoting transparency and accountability in the sector,” he said.

Abdullahi also said FCCPC would continue to work tirelessly to promote competition and protect consumers to create a vibrant economy that would benefit both businesses and citizens.