GOV. SANWO-OLU OFFICIALLY COMMISSIONS LAGOS STATE COMMERCIAL COURT AT TAPA, LAGOS ISLAND, ON TUESDAY APRIL 15, 2025.(PHOTOS).

One week after Nigeriaās Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission imposed a $220 million fine on WhatsApp for a data privacy breach, the company may suspend its operations in the country due to further regulatory demands.
Sources close to the situation indicate that Meta, WhatsAppās parent company, is contemplating the withdrawal of certain services from Nigeria.
Alongside the substantial fine, the FCCPC has directed WhatsApp to cease sharing user data with other Facebook companies and third parties without explicit user consent. The commission also requires WhatsApp to disclose details about its data collection practices and to enhance user control over data usage.
In response, a WhatsApp spokesperson emailed TechCabal, āWe want to be clear that, technically, based on the order, it would be impossible to provide WhatsApp in Nigeria or globally.ā The spokesperson criticized the FCCPCās order as flawed, asserting that it inaccurately portrays WhatsAppās data handling and would necessitate significant changes to the platformās infrastructure.
Meta has not addressed the FCCPCās allegations regarding user opt-out options from the 2021 privacy policy but maintains that the update does not involve sharing user data. The companyās privacy policy states, āWhile traditionally mobile carriers and operators store this information, we believe that keeping these records for two billion users would be both a privacy and security risk and we donāt do it.ā
The potential suspension of WhatsApp could have significant repercussions for individuals and small businesses in Nigeria, many of whom rely on WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook for customer engagement.
Some privacy lawyers have questioned the FCCPCās use of the National Data Protection Regulation as the foundation for the fine. Enacted in 2019 by the National Information Technology Development Agency, the NDPR is Nigeriaās principal data protection framework. Two unnamed lawyers have expressed doubts about the NDPRās authority in such a high-stakes matter and questioned whether a government regulation can be deemed definitive in privacy issues.
Additionally, two unnamed government officials have raised concerns about the fairness of the $220 million fine. āWe are too revenue-focused. What is the opportunity cost of $220 million in government coffers?ā questioned an industry expert.
Should WhatsApp choose to halt its operations in Nigeria due to these demands, both the FCCPC and the Nigerian government will face significant scrutiny and consequences.
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