WhatsApp Exit Threats Aim to Influence Public Opinion, Says FCCPC

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has refuted claims that the recent fines and penalty notices against WhatsApp could force the platform out of Nigeria.
The commission also noted that WhatsApp’s claims that it could be forced out of Nigeria as a result of its recent decisions are aimed at influencing public opinion and “potentially pressuring the FCCPC to reconsider its decision.”
The regulator responded to reports revealing that WhatsApp is considering withdrawing some of its services from the country. Techcabal on Thursday quoted a WhatsApp spokesperson as saying, “We want to be really clear that technically, based on the order, it would be impossible to provide WhatsApp in Nigeria or globally.

“This order contains multiple inaccuracies and misrepresents how WhatsApp works. WhatsApp relies on limited data to run our service and keep users safe, and it would be impossible to provide WhatsApp in Nigeria or globally without Meta’s infrastructure. We are urgently appealing the order to avoid any impact on users.”

According to Yahoo Finance, 51 million Nigerians use WhatsApp as of February 2024. In July, Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) declared Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, guilty of a range of infractions, including the denial of Nigerians’ right to self-determination, illegal data sharing and transfer, discriminatory practices, abuse of dominant market position, and unwarranted restraints.
The FCCPC noted that its decision came after a 38-month joint investigation by the Commission and the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC).

In its response to the complaint against WhatsApp on Thursday, the Commission noted that its action was based on legitimate consumer protection and privacy concerns. In its final decision, Meta stressed that it is committed to meeting the demands of Nigerian consumers and complying with local standards.
“Similar measures are taken in other jurisdictions without forcing companies to leave the market. The case of Nigeria will not be different,” the FCCPC added.
Meta is currently appealing the fine, the highest in Africa, but recent reports have revealed that the tech giant has cited 22 reasons for the case to be dropped, including vague instructions, unjustified data-sharing orders, and procedural errors.
Babatunde Irukera, former chairman of the FCCPC, noted on X, on the appeal, “The same company just settled a Texas case for $1.4 billion and is currently facing regulatory action in at least a dozen nations, appealing large penalties in several countries. How many has it threatened to exit?”