Nigeria fines Meta $220 million for violating privacy and data laws

Nigeria has fined WhatsApp parent company Meta Platforms $220 million for violating data privacy and rights laws.

Nigeria accuses Meta's WhatsApp of violating privacy laws

The Nigerian Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) began an investigation into WhatsApp’s privacy policy in May 2021 and found that it was being applied to Nigerian users without following current standards of fairness. The investigation, which was conducted in conjunction with the Nigerian Data Protection Commission, lasted 38 months.

The FCCPC said Meta used data from Nigerian users on its platforms without their consent. Meta's actions were alleged to be an abuse of its dominant market position, by imposing unfavorable privacy policies on its users and discriminating against Nigerians compared to users in other regions.

FCCPC head Adamu Abdullahi said the investigation found that Meta's policies did not give users the option or opportunity to self-identify or have control over the collection, use and sharing of personal data.

For its part, WhatsApp objected to the decision of the Nigerian authorities as well as the fine amount and affirmed that it would appeal this decision.

Meta is ordered to immediately restore control over its use of Nigerian users’ data. It is also required to ensure that its privacy policy complies with applicable data protection laws and to immediately stop sharing WhatsApp user information with other Meta companies and third parties.

Previously, in May, Türkiye's competition authority also fined Meta 1.2 billion lira for sharing data between Facebook, Instagram, Threads and WhatsApp.

Meta is also facing scrutiny in Europe and other jurisdictions over alleged data protection violations. Its plans to use user data to train AI models without asking for user consent have also been criticized.

Meanwhile, South Africa's competition regulator has also announced plans to investigate whether digital platforms, including Meta, are unfairly competing with news publishers by using their content to generate advertising revenue.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/nigeria-phat-meta-220-trieu-usd-do-vi-pham-luat-quyen-rieng-tu-va-du-lieu-279519.html