WhatsApp has said its parent body, Meta, will appeal the $220 million fine imposed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission regarding its violation of Nigeria’s data privacy laws.

The organisation, Whatsapp, said this in a statement made available to journalists on Saturday in Lagos.

It said, “We disagree with the decision today as well as the fine, and Meta will be appealing the decision. In 2021, we went to users globally to explain how talking to businesses, among other things, would work and while there was a lot of confusion then, it has actually proven quite popular.”

The reaction followed a statement by the FCCPC and signed by its acting Executive Chairman, Adamu Abdullahi, saying that Meta had denied Nigerian users control over their data.

The FCCPC said that Meta had also shared the users’ data without consent and abused its market dominance.

According to the statement, the FCCPC’s final order imposed a monetary penalty of only $220 million on Meta.

The statement indicated that the penalty was in accordance with the FCCPA 2018 and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection (Administrative Penalties) Regulations 2020.

The FCCPC announced that it initiated its investigation in May 2021, based on evidence suggesting that Meta, through its platforms, breached the provisions of the FCCPA 2018 and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation 2019.

It stated that these regulations were in effect prior to the enactment and implementation of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.

The competition protection body noted that Meta responded to document requests and summonses by providing some information.

It stated that Meta’s representatives and retained legal counsel had consistently engaged with and met investigators and analysts from the commission and the NDPC, including as recently as April 4, 2024.

The FCCPC highlighted that its investigation uncovered evidence of Meta engaging in practices that were abusive and invasive towards data consumers in Nigeria.

This included collecting personal data without consent and implementing discriminatory practices against Nigerians, among other issues.

Meta Platforms, Inc., doing business as Meta, is an American multinational technology conglomerate based in Menlo Park, California.

The company owns and operates Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp, among other products and services. 

(NAN)