WhatsApp Faces Potential Suspension in Nigeria Over Data Privacy Fine

WhatsApp Faces Potential Suspension in Nigeria Over Data Privacy Fine

A MAJOR messaging platform in Nigeria, WhatsApp, might soon suspend its services in the country.

This comes after the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) fined Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, $220 million for alleged data privacy breaches.

TechCabal reports that Meta is contemplating withdrawing certain services in Nigeria due to the new regulatory demands.

Sources privy to the matter revealed that the company is assessing the impact of the order.

A WhatsApp spokesperson told TechCabal, “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.”

In July, the FCCPC imposed a $220 million fine on Meta, accusing the company of abusing Nigerian users’ data.

The commission alleged that Meta used its market power to enforce exploitative privacy policies and collect users’ data without proper consent.

The FCCPC ordered WhatsApp to stop sharing user data with other Meta companies and third parties without explicit user consent.

Additionally, WhatsApp must disclose details about its data collection practices and restore user control over data usage.

Meta has not directly addressed the FCCPC’s allegations but maintains that the update does not involve sharing user data.