WhatsApp says it will urgently apply for a stay of execution and appeal a decision by Nigeria’s Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal (CCPT) that upheld a $220 million fine imposed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
The messaging platform disclosed this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos, expressing its strong disagreement with the tribunal’s judgment.
The tribunal’s ruling not only reinforced the fine but also ordered WhatsApp and its parent company, Meta Platforms Incorporated, to pay an additional $35,000 to cover the FCCPC’s investigation costs into the companies’ data practices.
WhatsApp, in its reaction, said it would “urgently apply to stay the order and appeal today’s decision to avoid any impact to users,” underlining that the tribunal’s decision contained what it described as “multiple inaccuracies” and “misrepresented how WhatsApp works.”
Beyond contesting the financial penalties, WhatsApp warned that enforcing the ruling could fundamentally affect its ability to continue offering services in Nigeria and even impact its global operations. The company stressed that providing the platform without relying on Meta’s broader infrastructure would be impossible.
“It will be impossible to provide WhatsApp in Nigeria, or globally, without the infrastructure of our parent company, Meta,” it said.
The Back Story
The background to the ruling dates back to an earlier investigation by the FCCPC, which accused WhatsApp and Meta of discriminatory data practices. According to the Commission, the companies failed to treat Nigerian users with the same level of privacy, consent, and data protection accorded to users in other jurisdictions, particularly those protected under stricter regulations like the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The regulator contended that the companies’ approach exposed Nigerian users to unfair data-sharing practices and failed to obtain adequate consent before sharing their information with third parties, including Facebook.
The tribunal, in its judgment delivered on Friday, not only upheld the FCCPC’s fine but also imposed a series of conditions aimed at restoring Nigerian users’ rights over their personal data. Among the directives, the tribunal ordered Meta and WhatsApp to immediately reinstate Nigerian users’ rights to control how their personal data is shared. They were also instructed to submit a formal compliance letter to the FCCPC by July 1, 2025, confirming that the corrective measures had been fully implemented.
Additionally, Meta and WhatsApp are required to update their applications to allow Nigerian users to exercise full control over each data point collected from them. They must submit their proposed new data policies to both the FCCPC and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) within 10 days of the ruling. The companies are expected to make these policy documents public to ensure transparency.
Another critical part of the order mandates Meta to immediately cease the sharing of Nigerian users’ data with Facebook and other third parties. Meta is also required to revert to its 2016 data-sharing policy — before the controversial integration of WhatsApp data into Facebook’s broader advertising and profiling systems — ensuring that users’ consent is explicitly sought and obtained before any data is tied across platforms. Compliance with these demands must be demonstrated with verifiable evidence.
In addition to directing Meta to reimburse the FCCPC with $35,000 as the cost of its investigative work, the tribunal mandated that the $220 million penalty must be paid no later than 60 days from April 30, 2025.
The tribunal’s ruling marks one of the most consequential regulatory actions taken against a global technology company in Nigeria’s history. It also signals a more assertive regulatory environment where Nigerian authorities are increasingly willing to impose hefty penalties on multinational tech giants that fall short of protecting local consumer rights.
However, business leaders note that the decision carries broader risks for WhatsApp and Meta. Nigeria, with its population exceeding 220 million, remains a critical growth market in Africa, and the case could set a powerful precedent for how multinational tech companies manage data governance, privacy, and user consent across the continent. Should WhatsApp’s appeal fail, experts warn that it could trigger a ripple effect, encouraging other African regulators to adopt similarly aggressive stances in enforcing local data protection laws.
Meanwhile, Nigerian officials have praised the tribunal’s decision as a step toward affirming the country’s sovereignty in regulating the digital economy. For them, the case highlights a long-standing demand that foreign digital platforms must respect the rights of Nigerian users on equal terms with users elsewhere.
