Nigerian authorities have imposed a staggering $220 million fine on Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp, for violating Nigerian consumer and data protection laws.

The decision, announced on Friday, follows a comprehensive investigation that revealed violations of local consumer protection, data privacy, and data protection laws by the tech giant, according to Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).

The FCCPC’s chief executive, Adamu Abdullahi, revealed that the investigation, which lasted 38 months and was conducted in collaboration with Nigeria’s Data Protection Commission, uncovered extensive and repeated breaches of Nigerian data protection laws by Meta.

“The investigation has determined that Meta’s conduct over this extended period constitutes multiple and ongoing infringements, notably including abusive and invasive practices against data subjects in Nigeria,” Mr Abdullahi said.

He continued, “Having reviewed the substantial evidence and afforded Meta ample opportunity to present its position, the Commission has now issued a final order and imposed a penalty on Meta.”

Aside from the fine, the order also outlines a series of measures that Meta must implement to comply with Nigerian laws, Mr Abdullahi added.

Meta has yet to make a public statement on this fine by the Nigerian government.

This penalty follows a similar action taken by Turkey’s competition authority in May, which imposed a fine of 1.2 billion lira on Meta after a thorough investigation into data-sharing practices on its Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp platforms.

In recent times, Meta has faced increasing scrutiny across Europe and other jurisdictions over alleged violations of data protection regulations.