The Federal Government, through the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, says the threat by WhatsApp to exit Nigeria due to the Commission’s recent order will not exonerate the company from the outcome of a judicial process.

In a statement by its Director, Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu on Saturday in Abuja, FCCPC said the Meta Parties should take steps to comply with Nigeria’s law.

Ijagwu said the threat was a calculated move aimed at inducing negative public reaction and potentially pressuring the FCCPC to reconsider its decision.

According to him, the recent affirmation of FCCPC’s final order by the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal required Meta Parties to stop exploiting Nigerian consumers, and change their practices to meet Nigerian standards consistent with international best practices.

DAILY POST recalls that Ijagwu said the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal had awarded 220 million dollars against Meta Platforms Incorporated and WhatsApp LLC as an administrative penalty for the violations.

Meta had threatened to shut down its Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria in protest of the large fines imposed by multiple government agencies.

It will also be recalled that the tribunal further awarded 35,000 dollars to the FCCPC as cost of investigation.

”The FCCPC investigated Meta Platforms and WhatsApp (jointly referred to as “Meta Parties”) for allegedly violating the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, FCCPA, and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation, NDPR.

”The Commission found that Meta Parties engaged in multiple and repeated infringements of the FCCPA (2018) and the NDPR.

”These infringements include denying Nigerians the right to control their personal data, transferring and sharing Nigerian user data without authorisation.

”Others are discriminating against Nigerian users compared to users in other jurisdictions and abusing their dominant market position by forcing unfair privacy policies,” he said.

According to Ijagwu, Meta had been fined for similar breaches in Texas (1.5 billion dollars ) and only recently was asked to pay 1.3 billion dollars for violating European Union, EU, Data Privacy Rules.

He reiterated that Meta had faced penalties in India, South Korea, France and Australia for similar breaches.

The Commission’s director further stated that Meta never resorted to the blackmail of threatening to exit those countries rather, they obeyed.

He expressed the Commission’s commitment in its pursuit of consumer protection and data privacy toward ensuring a fairer digital market in the country.

TikTok said it removed over 2.1 million videos in Nigeria in the second quarter of 2024 for violating its community guidelines.

According to the Community Guidelines Enforcement Report shared on Tuesday, Tiktok said the action is part of the company’s ongoing efforts to enhance content moderation and create a safer platform for users.

“Key findings show that 99.1 per cent of these videos were proactively removed before users reported them, with 90.7 per cent taken down within 24 hours.

“These figures highlight TikTok’s commitment to staying ahead of harmful content, ensuring a safer platform for Nigerian users,” the report noted.

The affected videos represent less than 1 per cent of the total uploads in Nigeria during the reporting period.

Globally, TikTok said it removed over 178 million videos in June 2024, with 144 million of those removals facilitated through automated systems.

“With a proactive detection rate now at 98.2 per cent globally, TikTok is more efficient than ever at addressing harmful content before users encounter it,” the short-form mobile video platform stated.

It, however, assured that it would continue to invest in technologies aimed at improving content moderation and understanding potential risks.

It also reinforced its dedication to transparency and platform safety for its diverse user base in Nigeria and worldwide.

The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted on Wednesday to approve a bill that would compel TikTok to divest from its Chinese owner or face a ban in the United States.

In a display of rare bipartisan unity in politically divided Washington, 352 lawmakers voted in favour of the proposed law, while 65 voted against it.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise praised the passage of the TikTok bill and dismissed concerns that targeting the popular app could have negative repercussions for Republicans in the upcoming November elections.

Scalise emphasised the need to protect young users from potential data risks posed by the app, stating that the bill would provide additional layers of security for families and youth.

He expressed confidence that the strong support for the legislation in the House would facilitate its passage in the Senate. However, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has not yet committed to considering the House’s version of the bill.

Scalise indicated that discussions with several senators have shown interest in the bill, particularly noting the bipartisan support it received in the House.