WhatsApp Faces Potential Suspension in Nigeria Amid $220 Million Fine and Regulatory Demands

WhatsApp may face a suspension of its operations in Nigeria due to new regulatory demands.

It was learnt that Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) imposed a significant $220 million fine on WhatsApp, citing a data privacy breach

Sources close to the situation suggest that Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, is considering the withdrawal of certain services from Nigeria in response to these regulatory pressures.

Alongside the large fine, the FCCPC has issued an order requiring WhatsApp to halt the sharing of user data with other Facebook companies and third parties unless explicit consent is given by users. The commission also demands that WhatsApp provide more transparency regarding its data collection practices and offer enhanced control to users over how their data is used.

In an email to TechCabal, a WhatsApp spokesperson remarked, "We want to be clear that, technically, based on the order, it would be impossible to provide WhatsApp in Nigeria or globally." This statement highlights the challenges WhatsApp faces in complying with the FCCPC’s demands, which the spokesperson argues are fundamentally flawed and misrepresent the company’s data handling practices. The spokesperson also emphasized that the order would necessitate major changes to the platform’s infrastructure, which could impact its functionality.

Meta has yet to address the FCCPC’s specific allegations about user opt-out options from the 2021 privacy policy. The company maintains that the policy update does not involve sharing user data with external entities. According to Meta’s privacy policy, "While 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 don’t do it." This statement underscores Meta’s position on the data management practices it employs.

The potential suspension of WhatsApp could have far-reaching effects on individuals and small businesses in Nigeria, many of whom rely heavily on WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook for customer engagement and communication.