Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has warned it may shut down Facebook and Instagram operations in Nigeria due to increasing regulatory pressure and what it describes as “unrealistic” government demands.
This warning was revealed in a court filing obtained by the BBC, as Meta faces a $220 million fine from Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) over alleged data privacy violations. The penalty follows a 38-month joint investigation by the FCCPC and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) into the data practices of Meta and WhatsApp.
Despite an April 25 ruling by Nigeria’s Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal upholding the fine, Meta has vowed to appeal. The court has given the tech giant until the end of June to comply.
In the court filing, Meta stated that to “mitigate the risk of enforcement measures,” it may need to “effectively shut down the Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria.” Notably, WhatsApp was not mentioned in the document.
According to the BBC, Meta’s main concerns are with the NDPC, which it accuses of misinterpreting Nigeria’s data protection laws.
Alongside the FCCPC fine, Meta is also facing a $32.8 million penalty from the NDPC and a separate $37.5 million fine from the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) for allegedly running unapproved advertising content.
Among the disputed regulations is a requirement that Meta secure prior approval before transferring Nigerian users’ data abroad—a condition the company says is “unrealistic.” The NDPC has also ordered Meta to display educational videos on data privacy risks via a dedicated icon on its platforms. These videos must be co-produced with approved institutions and non-profits, and address manipulative data processing practices.
Meta has rejected the directives, calling them “unworkable,” and says Nigerian authorities have failed to correctly interpret their own data laws. The FCCPC insists the fines are based on thorough investigations conducted with the NDPC from May 2021 to December 2023.
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