WhatsApp has announced that its parent company, Meta, will challenge the $220 million fine imposed by the federal government for breaching Nigeria’s data privacy laws. According to Thepaan News, the fine was revealed in a statement from the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) on Friday.
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In response to this decision, WhatsApp expressed their disagreement with the fine in an interview with thepaan in Lagos on Saturday, stating that Meta plans to appeal the penalty.
“We do not agree with the decision or the fine, and Meta will be appealing it,” WhatsApp said. “Back in 2021, we reached out to users around the world to explain how interacting with businesses would work. Although there was some confusion at that time, it has since become quite popular.”
The FCCPC explained that the $220 million fine was imposed on Meta because the company shared users’ data without their permission and misused its position of power in the market.
The statement from the FCCPC highlighted several issues, including denying Nigerian users the right to control their own data, unauthorized transfer and sharing of personal data, including international storage, in violation of the law, discrimination and unequal treatment, and abuse of market dominance through unfair practices.
