Latest news with #Ijagwu
BBC News
04-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Weda Meta comot or not, dem gatz realise wetin dem do - Nigeria goment tell operators of WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram
Di Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission don draw ear give Meta say dia threat no hold water becos dem go still owe gbese. Dem tok dis one for statement wey di FCCPC director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu bring come outside on Saturday. "WhatsApp claim say dem fit dey forced to comot Nigeria sake if di FCCPC recent order be like na calculated move wey dem do to cause negative public reaction wey dem tink fit make FCCPC to reconsider dia decision", Ijagwu tok. E add say, "to threaten to comot Nigeria no mean say Meta no owe di liabilities wey be say di result of judicial process put for dia head". According to wetin di company tok for court papers, dem say, "di applicant fit dey forced to shutdown Facebook and Instagram for Nigeria so dem go fit reduce di risk wey go come if dem no comply" but dem no tok anytin about WhatsApp for dat statement. Di FCCPC drop lowdown of wetin dem bin dey accuse Meta for. Dem claim say Meta violate di Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) and di Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR). Di accuse be say Meta "deny Nigerians di right to control dia personal data, dey share Nigerian user data witout permission, discriminate against Nigeria users compared to users for oda places and abuse dia dominant market position by say dem force unfair practices". Dem add say, di Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal na im stamp di FCCPC final order say dem want make "Meta Parties to do wetin Nigeria law tok, stop to dey exploit Nigeria consumers, change dia practices to meet Nigerian standards and respect consumer rights, wey go look like wetin be international best practices." Wetin be di fines wey FCCPC dey ask for For di weekend statement, FCCPC claim say " Meta bin dey fined for similar breaches for Texas for $1.5bn and recently dem ask dem to pay $1.3bn say dem violate di EU Data Privacy Rule. Dem aslo face penalties for similar breaches for India, South Korea, France and Australia". All dis na to torchlight di fact say, na just Nigeria Meta det blackmail say dem wan comot. Wetin start dis whole kasala against Meta? Na for 2020, dis mata start as di FCCPC begin 38 month collabo investigation wit di Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC). Di investigation torchlight di conduct, privacy practices, and consumer data policies of Meta Platforms and WhatsApp. For 19 July, 2024, di FCCPC come issue final offer wey sama $220 million administrative penalty ontop Meta head say dem bin dey run discriminatory and exploitative practices against Nigerian consumers. As Meta no come like di Order, Meta and WhatsApp carry di FCCPC go di Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal as dem bin make di final arguments by 28 January, 2025 but no be till 25 April, 2025, na im di Tribunal come drop dia ruling. Di Tribunal release dia judgement on di case say mostly on di side of di commission for di seven issues Meta bin bring bifor di court. Dem even add on top di $220m administrative penalty say Meta Platforms Incorporated and WhatsApp LLC go pay $35,000 to di FCCPC as cost of di investigation. Di three member panel of di Tribunal wey Honorable Thomas Okosun lead, while dem judge most di case in di Commission favour bin set aside Order 7 of di Commission Final Order say e no get legal basis.
Business Mayor
26-04-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
Nigerian tribunal upholds $220 million fine against Meta
A Nigerian tribunal on Friday rejected Meta's appeal against a $220-million fine imposed by the country's consumer protection agency last year for a myriad of consumer data Facebook and WhatsApp parent company will also have to pay the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) an additional $35,000 for the cost of its original investigation into the company, commission spokesman Ondaje Ijagwu said in a statement. The Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal 'ruled that the multiple actions by WhatsApp and Meta, for which the Commission made findings of violations, were correctly identified, and that the Commission did not err in making those findings', Ijagwu said. Meta has until the end of June to pay the fine, local media reported. Nigeria had accused Meta of violating the country's data protection and consumer rights laws on Facebook and WhatsApp. FCCPC chief executive officer Adamu Abdullahi said investigations carried out in conjunction with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission between May 2021 and December 2023 revealed 'invasive practices against data subjects/consumers in Nigeria'. Abdullahi accused Meta of discriminatory practices, abuse of market dominance, sharing Nigerians' data without authorisation and denying Nigerians the right to determine how their data are used.A WhatsApp spokesperson said in an email statement after the fine was first announced in June 2024 that 'we disagree with this decision as well as the fine.' The country had some 164.3 million internet subscriptions as of March, according to figures published on the National Communication Commission's website. Meta's social media platforms — WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram — are among the most popular in the country. Meta is facing a similar headache in Europe after the EU fined it 200 million euros over its 'pay or consent' system, which violated rules on the use of personal data on Facebook and Instagram. tba/nro/kjm READ SOURCE
India Today
25-04-2025
- Business
- India Today
Nigeria fines Meta $220 million for Facebook and WhatsApp data misuse
In a major blow to tech giant Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and WhatsApp has lost its appeal against a $220 million fine imposed by Nigeria's consumer protection authority. The verdict was delivered on Friday by Nigeria's Competition and Consumer Protection penalty, initially imposed in 2023 by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), stemmed from multiple consumer data violations uncovered during a joint probe with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission. Additionally, Meta has been ordered to pay an extra $35,000 to cover the FCCPC's investigative to FCCPC spokesperson Ondaje Ijagwu, the tribunal found Meta and WhatsApp guilty of engaging in several unlawful practices. These included the unauthorized sharing of Nigerians' data, discriminatory data handling, and abuse of market dominance. The commission argued that these actions violated Nigeria's consumer protection and data privacy laws. 'The tribunal ruled that the multiple actions by WhatsApp and Meta, for which the Commission made findings of violations, were correctly identified, and that the Commission did not err in making those findings,' Ijagwu Denies AllegationsAccording to Barron's, Meta has denied any wrongdoing and expressed disagreement with the ruling and imposed penalties. A WhatsApp spokesperson reiterated the company's stance in an email shortly after the fine was first announced in June its objections, Meta has until the end of June to comply with the tribunal's ruling and settle the fine, as reported by local media ruling adds to Meta's mounting global regulatory troubles. The company is also facing a 200 million fine from the European Union over its controversial 'pay or consent' data model on Facebook and Instagram, which regulators say violates EU data privacy over 164 million internet subscriptions as of March 2025, Nigeria remains one of Meta's biggest markets in Africa. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp dominate online Read: Brazil's Ex-President Collor de Mello jailed for corruption charges
