Meta May Shut Down Facebook, Instagram in Nigeria
Nigerians could soon lose access to Facebook and Instagram as Meta, the parent company of both platforms, has said it may be forced to shut down the services in the country due to what it described as “unrealistic” demands and massive fines from Nigerian regulators.
In court documents filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, Meta stated: “The applicant may be forced to effectively shut down the Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria in order to mitigate the risk of enforcement measures.”
This follows fines totaling over \$290 million imposed last year by three different government agencies. The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) fined Meta \$220 million for alleged anti-competitive practices. The advertising regulator added a \$37.5 million fine for unauthorized advertising, while the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) demanded \$32.8 million for alleged violations of data privacy laws.
Meta recently lost a legal challenge in the Abuja court and has until the end of June to pay the fines. The company has not yet commented on what its next move will be.
While Meta also owns WhatsApp, the company made no mention of it in its court filings.
The CEO of the FCCPC, Adamu Abdullahi, said the fines followed a joint investigation with the data protection commission, conducted between May 2021 and December 2023. He said the investigation revealed “invasive practices against data subjects/consumers in Nigeria,” though he did not provide specific examples.
Meta expressed particular concern with the data commission’s demands, accusing it of “misinterpreting” Nigeria’s data protection laws. Among other requirements, the NDPC insisted that Meta must seek prior approval before transferring any personal data out of Nigeria—something the company described as “unrealistic.”
The NDPC also directed Meta to provide an icon linking to educational videos about the dangers of data misuse. These videos, the agency said, must be produced in collaboration with government-approved educational institutions and non-profits, and should highlight risks like “manipulative and unfair data processing” that could harm users’ health and finances.
Meta pushed back strongly, describing the agency’s demands as unfeasible and claiming the NDPC had failed to “properly interpret the laws guiding data privacy.”
Facebook remains the most widely used social media platform in Nigeria, with tens of millions relying on it daily for communication, news sharing, and running small businesses. Any disruption to its service would be a major blow to digital life and commerce across the country.
The post Meta May Shut Down Facebook, Instagram in Nigeria appeared first on Kano Times.
