Meta was accused of collecting data from Nigerian users on its platforms without obtaining their consent.

On Friday, Nigeria's Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) imposed a $220 million fine on Meta Platforms, citing violations of local consumer, data protection, and privacy laws. The commission's investigations revealed that Meta had mishandled Nigerian users' data, using it without consent, imposing exploitative privacy policies, and treating Nigerian users unfairly compared to users in other regions with similar regulations.

Meta has not yet responded publicly, but the FCCPC noted that the company had submitted some documents and engaged with the agency through its legal representatives. FCCPC chief Adamu Abdullahi explained that the investigation, which took over 38 months and was conducted in collaboration with Nigeria's Data Protection Commission, found that Meta’s policies did not give users the option to control or refuse the collection, use, and sharing of their personal data.

Abdullahi stated, "The investigation concluded that Meta has repeatedly and continuously violated regulations, engaging in abusive and invasive practices against Nigerian users." He added that the Commission had provided Meta with numerous opportunities to present its case, and with substantial evidence on record, the Commission has issued a final order and penalty.

This order requires Meta to take specific actions to align with Nigerian laws.

In Europe and other regions, Meta has faced criticism for alleged data protection breaches, including the controversial use of personal data for training AI models without consent. Additionally, South Africa’s competition watchdog is planning to investigate whether digital platforms, including Meta, are unfairly competing with news publishers by using their content to generate advertising revenue.