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00:00You might have seen the headlines, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram possibly leaving Nigeria.
00:07Crazy, right? But here's what's really going on.
00:11Nigeria's consumer protection agency, the FCCPC, just slammed Meta, that's the parent company, of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram with a massive $220 million fine.
00:25Why? Well, after digging into Meta's practices for 38 months, yes, over three years, Nigeria's FCCPC and the Data Protection Commission found some serious red flags.
00:39The investigation covered what Meta was up to from May 2021 to December 2023.
00:47So, what exactly did Meta do wrong?
00:51First off, they denied Nigerians the rights to control their own personal data.
00:57Then, they shared and stored that data across borders without permission, which is a major privacy issue.
01:06On top of that, they treated Nigerian users differently, not in a good way, as compared to how they handle things in other countries.
01:16And to top it all off, they used their power to push shady privacy policies most people had no choice but to accept.
01:24Basically, all of that violated Nigeria's competition and data protection laws.
01:44So, Meta's response, they are not having it.
01:47The company says they disagree with the fine and plan to appeal.
01:51But that's not all.
01:54Meta also hinted that they might pull out of Nigeria entirely.
01:58Imagine, no more Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp here.
02:03But the FCCPC isn't buying that.
02:06They called Meta's threat a PR stunt, a move to get the public to panic and pressure the government.
02:13Nigeria's regulators made it clear this isn't Texas or the European Union, where Meta has been fined over a billion dollars and still stayed.
02:24So, why act different in Nigeria?
02:27Long story short, the FCCPC is saying, follow the rules or face the consequences.
02:33You are not above the law just because you are a big technology company.
02:39So, where the matter stays or goes, one thing's clear.
02:43Nigeria is drawing the line on data privacy and consumer protection.
02:48In this case, it's shaping up to be a major moment in holding tech giants accountable.
02:55Not just globally, but right here at home.
02:59So, what do you think?
03:00Tell us in the comments.
03:02Don't forget to like, share, and follow for more updates on tech, policy, and everything in between.
03:10Let's keep the conversation going.