FG Disagrees As WhatsApp Threatens To Exit Nigeria Over 220m Fine

Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has disagreed with claims that its recent penalty order and fine on WhatsApp may force the platform out of Nigeria.

The commission, responding to a report that WhatsApp was considering withdrawing some of its services in the country, also noted that WhatsApp’s claim is aimed at influencing public opinion and “potentially pressuring the FCCPC to reconsider its decision.”

WhatsApp issued a warning that it may exit the Nigerian market, if the federal government does not reverse its $220 million fine against it.

On Thursday, Techcabal reported that a WhatsApp spokesperson said, “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.”

Recall that the FCCPC hit back at WhatsApp, fining the messaging behemoth a whopping $220 million and charging it with anti-competitive behaviour and privacy violations.

The FCCPC also added more demanding requirements, such as tighter user verification, more stringent data localisation, and more stringent content moderation.

WhatsApp, in a report by Techcabal expressed concerns about the feasibility of complying with these requirements without compromising users’ experience and privacy, while threatening to exit the Nigerian market, if both parties cannot reach a common ground.