Meta fined $220 million by Nigerian antitrust agency over WhatsApp privacy policy

WhatsApp parent company Meta has been fined $220 million by the Nigerian antitrust agency for violating data and privacy laws in its updated privacy policy. The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) said its May 2021 investigation into WhatsApp’s privacy policy revealed serious breaches of fairness to Nigerian users.

The FCCPC launched an investigation following concerns about an update to its privacy policy that WhatsApp rolled out globally in May 2021. The commission found that the new terms were implemented without following fairness standards, particularly affecting Nigerian users.

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In a statement, the FCCPC noted that the remedies proposed by Meta in April were insufficient to address the concerns raised. “The package of remedies proposed by Meta in April did not address its concerns,” the commission said, according to Bloomberg.

WhatsApp defended its policy update, with a spokesperson explaining: “In 2021, we reached out to users around the world to clarify how, among other things, talking to businesses would work, and while there was a lot of confusion at the time, it proved quite popular. We disagree with today’s decision, as well as the fine, and are appealing the decision.”

The Commission ordered Meta to immediately restore Nigerian users’ rights to control the use of their data. Meta must also ensure that its privacy policy fully complies with applicable data protection laws and stop sharing WhatsApp user information with other Facebook companies and third parties.

Source: Bloomberg