" Nigerian court upholds $220M penalty on Meta for privacy breach " 25 April 2025

Meta Platforms has lost its appeal against a $220 million fine imposed by Nigeria’s competition watchdog for breaching local consumer protection, data privacy, and related laws.

The investigation began in May 2021 when the FCCPC launched an inquiry into WhatsApp’s updated privacy policy. According to the agency, Meta was later notified of the findings, but the “remedy package” the company proposed did not adequately address the concerns raised. [...] The tribunal has ordered Meta and WhatsApp to immediately stop the unauthorized sharing of Nigerian users’ data with third parties, including Facebook. They are also require to restore consent mechanisms that give users control over how their data is shared and revert to their 2016 data-sharing policy. In addition, Meta is required to submit a compliance report to both the FCCPC and the NDPC by July 1, 2025, and reimburse the FCCPC $35,000 to cover investigation expenses.