Meta threatens to reduce access to penalties

People in Nigeria may lose access to Facebook and Instagram after the Mother’s Meta said it had faced great fines and “unreal” normative requirements of the Nigerian authorities.

Last year, three Nigerian surveillance agencies imposed a fine in the US Giant Social Media totaling more than $ 290 million (218 million pounds) for violating various laws and rules.

The meta was unsuccessful in a recent attempt to challenge the decisions in the Federal Supreme Court Abuja.

“The applicant may be forced to effectively close Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria to mitigate the risk of measures,” the company said.

Meta also belongs to WhatsApp, but in its statement does not mention messaging service.

The high court gave the company to the end of June to pay fines.

The BBC asked Meta to outline what the following steps would be, but had not yet received the answer.

Facebook is by far the most popular social media platform in Nigeria and is used by tens of millions in the country for daily communication and news sharing. It is also a vital tool for many small Nigeria’s biz.

Last July, meta asked to pay three fines:

• The Federal Commission on Consumer Rights (FCCPC) has imposed a fine of $ 220 million for alleged anti-Channel practices
• Advertising Regulator fined the company $ 37.5 million for unauthorized advertising
• And the Nigerian data protection commission (NDPC) has allegedly violated the laws on data privacy and fined $ 32.8 million.

FCCPC Chief Executive Director Adam Abdullah said the investigations conducted in conjunction with the commission according to the data between May 2021 and December 2023, “invasive practice for subjects/consumers in Nigeria”, but not specifically what it was.

In her court, Meta said his “major problem” was linked to the commission, which she accused of “misinterpretation” of the data laws.

In particular, the commission demanded that Meta were looking for a preliminary approval before transmitting any personal data from Nigeria – a condition that is “unreal”.

The commission also made other requirements.

Meta said it should provide an icon that binds to educational videos about the risk of data privacy. This will be the content created in cooperation with the government -approved educational institutions and non -profit organizations.

NDPC insisted that these videos emphasize the danger of “manipulative and unfair processing” that can expose Nigerians to health and financial risks.

Meta described NDPC requirements as impossible, saying that the agency was unable to “interpret the laws that manage the privacy.”