Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has warned it may restrict access to both platforms in Nigeria following regulatory disputes with local authorities.
The social media giant faces over $290m in combined fines from three Nigerian regulatory bodies for alleged violations of multiple laws and regulations. Meta recently lost its appeal at the federal high court in Abuja, which ordered the company to pay the fines by the end of June.
“The applicant may be forced to effectively shut down the Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria in order to mitigate the risk of enforcement measures,” Meta stated in court documents.
The fines include $220 million from the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission for alleged anti-competitive behavior, $37.5 million from the advertising regulator for unauthorized advertising, and $32.8 million from Nigeria’s Data Protection Commission for data privacy violations.
Meta’s primary concern appears to be with the data commission, which it claims has “misinterpreted” data privacy laws. The commission requires Meta to obtain prior approval before exporting any personal data from Nigeria – a requirement Meta describes as “unrealistic.”
Regulators also demand that Meta provide educational content about data privacy risks, produced in collaboration with government-approved institutions.
The potential shutdown would significantly impact tens of millions of Nigerians who rely on Facebook, the country’s most popular social media platform, for daily communication, news, and business operations. Many small online enterprises in Nigeria depend on the platform to reach customers.
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Notably, WhatsApp, which is also owned by Meta, was not mentioned in the company’s shutdown announcement, suggesting the messaging service might continue operating regardless of the outcome.
The standoff highlights growing tensions between global tech companies and national regulators seeking to enforce local laws and protect citizens’ data.
