Nigeria has fined US-based Meta, the owner of Facebook and WhatsApp, $220 million (€202 million) for repeated violations of data protection and consumer rights, authorities said.

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has accused Meta of violations “multiple and repeated” by Facebook and WhatsApp of Nigerian laws that guarantee data protection, the entity said in a statement released on Friday.

According to the statement signed by the Director General of the FCCPC, Adamu Abdullahi, the investigation, carried out between May 2021 and December 2023 by the FCCPC in conjunction with the Data Protection Commission of Nigeria, showed that Meta had “invasive practices” in the country in terms of data and consumer protection.

The statement released accused Meta of discriminatory practices, abuse of a dominant position, unauthorized use of Nigerians' personal data and deprivation of the right to determine how their data was used.

"Meta must comply with current law and stop exploiting Nigerian consumers and its market abuses, as well as refrain in the future from any similar conduct or practice that does not meet the applicable standards in the country."

The FCCPC stated that Meta was aware of the 38-month investigation. When asked by AFP about the application of the fine, Meta did not comment.

About three-quarters of the 200 million people in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, are under 24 and are heavy users of social media. As of March, the country had about 164,3 million internet users, according to the National Communications Commission (NCC) website.

Meta's platforms – WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram – are among the most popular apps in Nigeria among young people under 24.