April 25, 2025
The Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal on Friday delivered its judgment in the appeal filed by Meta Platforms Incorporated (Facebook) and WhatsApp LLC against the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), affirming the Commission’s authority and actions in nearly all the contested issues.
In a statement by the Director Corporate Affairs, FCCPC, Ondaje Ijagwu on Friday, the Tribunal specifically determined that the Commission complied with prevailing laws, discharged its mandate, and exercised its powers within the confines of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
In addition to upholding the major aspects of the FCCPC’s Final Order, the Tribunal awarded the sum of $220 million against Meta Platforms Incorporated and WhatsApp LLC as an administrative penalty, and further awarded $35,000 to the FCCPC as cost of investigation.
The tribunal’s three-member panel was led by Honorable Thomas Okosun.
WhatsApp and Meta’s legal team was led by Professor Gbolahan Elias (SAN) while the FCCPC’s legal team was led by Mr. Babatunde Irukera. Both teams had made their final arguments on behalf of their respective clients on January 28, 2025.
The FCCPC had on July on July 19, 2024 issued a Final Order imposing a $220 million administrative penalty after concluding that the companies engaged in discriminatory and exploitative practices against Nigerian consumers.
The investigation started in 2020.
The case arose from a 38-month joint investigation initiated by the FCCPC and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) into the conduct, privacy practices, and consumer data policies of Meta Platforms and WhatsApp.
Dissatisfied with the Order last year, Meta and WhatsApp appealed to the Tribunal, challenging both the legal basis and the findings of the Commission.
While ruling on Meta’s appeal, the Tribunal also validated the Commission’s investigative .
