The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has said that WhatsApp’s threat to exit the country in response to a $220 million fine is a strategy to influence public opinion.
In a statement on August 1, the FCCPC said the threat is also a move to force the commission to reconsider its decision.
On July 19, FCCPC imposed a fine of $220 million on Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram, for multiple data privacy violations.
In reaction to the decision, a WhatsApp spokesperson said it would be impossible to provide their services in Nigeria due to the FCCPC’s demands.
“This order contains multiple inaccuracies and misrepresents how WhatsApp works and we are urgently appealing the order to avoid any impact to users,” a WhatsApp spokesperson said.
Reacting, the FCCPC said: “WhatsApp’s claim that it may be forced to exit Nigeria due to FCCPC’s recent order appears to be a strategic move aimed at influencing public opinion and potentially pressuring the FCCPC to reconsider its decision.
“The FCCPC investigated Meta Platforms and WhatsApp (jointly referred to as “Meta Parties”) for allegedly violating the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR).
“The Commission found that Meta Parties engaged in multiple and repeated infringements of the FCCPA and the NDPR. These infringements included denying Nigerians the right to control their personal data, transferring and sharing Nigerian user data without authorisation, discriminating against Nigerian users compared to users in other jurisdictions and abusing their dominant market position by forcing unfair privacy policies.
“The final order requires Meta Parties to take steps to comply with Nigerian law, stop exploiting Nigerian consumers, change their practices to meet Nigerian standards and respect consumer rights.
“To deter future violations and ensure accountability for the alleged infringements the FCCPC also imposed a monetary penalty of $220 million.
“The FCCPC’s actions are based on legitimate concerns about consumer protection and data privacy and the order is a positive step towards a fairer digital market in Nigeria. Similar measures are taken in other jurisdictions without forcing companies to leave the market. The case of Nigeria will not be different.”