$220m fine: FCCPC hails trubunal’s judgment against Meta, WhatsApp

 The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has hailed the  Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal for its judgment in the appeal filed by Meta Platforms Incorporated (Facebook) and WhatsApp LLC.

This is contained in a statement by the FCCPC Director, Corporate Affairs, Mr Ondaje Ijagwu, on Friday in Abuja.

Ijagwu said the Executive Vice Chairman of the commission, Mr Tunji Bello, also commended FCCPC’s legal team for their exceptional diligence.

He said the tribunal resolved issues one to seven  in favour of the FCCPC, dismissing the appellants’ objections to the commission’s findings, orders, and legal competence.

Ijagwu said the tribunal’s three-member panel led by Mr Thomas Okosun, affirmed the commission’s authority and actions in nearly all the contested issues.

He said the tribunal determined that the commission complied with prevailing laws, discharged its mandate, and exercised its powers within the confines of the 1999 Constitution.

Ijagwu said the tribunal affirmed the fine of 220 million dollar against Meta Platforms Incorporated and WhatsApp LLC by the commission and further awarded 35,000 dollars to the FCCPC as cost of investigation.

He recalled that the case arose from a 38-month joint investigation initiated by the FCCPC and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission into the conduct, privacy practices, and consumer data policies of Meta Platforms and WhatsApp.

According to him, dissatisfied with the order last year, Meta and WhatsApp appealed to the tribunal, challenging both the legal basis and the findings of FCCPC.

”The Tribunal resolved issues one to seven largely in favour of the FCCPC, dismissing the appellants’ objections to the commission’s findings, orders, and legal competence.

”The tribunal held that the FCCPC acted within its statutory mandate, reaffirming its authority under Section 104 of the FCCPA to regulate competition and consumer protection even in regulated industries,” he said.

Ijagwu reinstated FCCPC’s commitment to not only championing the rights of Nigerian consumers but also ensuring fair business practices in the country.