WhatsApp has announced it will urgently seek a stay of execution and appeal a ruling by the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal, which upheld a $220 million fine imposed by Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.
WhatsApp made this disclosure in a statement on Saturday in Lagos, stating it strongly disagrees with the tribunal’s decision, according to NAN.
Recall in addition to upholding the $220 million fine, the tribunal also ordered WhatsApp and its parent company, Meta Platforms Inc., to pay an extra $35,000 to the FCCPC.
This additional amount is meant to cover the commission’s investigative costs related to the companies’ data policies.
Reacting to the judgment, WhatsApp stated that it would “urgently apply to stay the order and appeal today’s decision to avoid any impact to users.”
WhatsApp strongly emphasized its disagreement with the tribunal’s order, highlighting that the FCCPC’s decision contained “multiple inaccuracies” and “misrepresented how WhatsApp works.
WhatsApp warned that the tribunal’s decision could have broader implications for its ability to operate not only in Nigeria but also in other regions, stressing, “It will be impossible to provide WhatsApp in Nigeria, or globally, without the infrastructure of our parent company, Meta.”
It was earlier reported that the tribunal delivered a ruling in favour of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, affirming the $220 million fine initially levied against WhatsApp and its parent company, Meta Platforms Incorporated, for alleged discriminatory data practices in Nigeria.
The FCCPC had accused WhatsApp and Meta of failing to treat Nigerian users equally compared to users in other regions.
The regulator raised serious concerns about issues such as privacy, consent, and data protection, alleging that these practices were discriminatory.
