Meta has been fined $220 million for misusing WhatsApp user data. The penalty was imposed by a consumer court in Nigeria. The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission had issued the sanction in 2023.
The action was taken following an investigation by the Data Protection Commission, which found that user data had been leaked multiple times and misused.
In addition to the $220 million fine, Meta has also been ordered to pay over 2.9 million naira to cover investigation costs. The inquiry revealed that WhatsApp and its parent company, Meta, had unlawfully shared Nigerian citizens’ information, handled data insecurely, and traded user information in the market.
The Commission pointed out that Meta’s practices violated Nigeria’s consumer protection and data protection laws. However, Meta has denied the Commission’s findings, rejecting the allegations of misuse of WhatsApp data.
