Nigeria has fined US tech giant Meta $220 million (€202 million) for breaking antitrust, data protection, and consumer rights rules.

The parent company of WhatsApp, an instant messaging service, and the social media sites Facebook and Instagram is Meta.

Why was Meta accused by Nigeria?

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) of Nigeria (Nigeria) accused Meta on Friday of engaging in discriminatory activities, abusing its market dominance, disclosing personal information about Nigerians without consent, and depriving them the ability to control the use of their data.

After beginning a 38-month probe in May 2021, it declared that it had “significant evidence on the record”.

According to FCCPC CEO Adamu Abdullahi, the commission’s investigations revealed Meta had participated in “invasive practices against data subjects in Nigeria.”

“Comply with the prevailing law and cease the exploitation of Nigerian consumers and their market abuse,” Abdullahi said of the internet giant.

On the advice of the commission, the company was directed to “desist from future similar or other conduct/practices that do not meet nationally applicable standards.”

According to the FCCPC, Meta was informed of the commission’s inquiries into the company. It claimed that Meta’s “remedy package” fell short of resolving the original issues.

News agencies’ inquiries for comment from Meta were not immediately answered.

Meta platforms that are well-liked in Nigeria

Out of almost 200 million inhabitants, Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, has about 164 million internet subscribers.

The majority of Nigerians—roughly 75%—are under 24 years old, and many of them have grown up on social media. In Nigeria, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp are some of the most widely used social media networks.

In December, the nation’s minister of communication, Bosun Tijani, said that there were “over 51 million WhatsApp users.”

The Nigerian government is not the first to criticize Meta for violating antitrust laws and privacy policies. The European Union accused Meta earlier this month of violating its tech standards.