Meta Threatens to Shut Down Facebook, Instagram in Nigeria over Govt Demands

Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has disclosed that it may shut down the social platforms in Nigeria due to regulatory demands it described as “unrealistic.”

The company’s warning came in a court filing as it faces a $220 million fine for alleged data privacy violations.

According to a report by VANGUARD, Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission imposed the fine after a 38-month investigation into Meta’s data practices.

Meta says it plans to appeal the ruling and has until the end of June to comply. The company is also concerned about demands to obtain prior approval for transferring user data abroad and creating educational content on data privacy risks.

“To mitigate the risk of enforcement measures,” Meta said it may have to “effectively shut down the Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria.”

In addition to the FCCPC fine, the NDPC has fined Meta $32.8 million for alleged privacy breaches, while the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) issued a separate $37.5 million penalty for what it called unapproved advertising content.

Among the regulatory demands is a requirement that Meta obtain prior approval before transferring Nigerian users’ data abroad—a condition the company deems “unrealistic.”

The NDPC has also ordered Meta to create and display educational content on data privacy risks via a dedicated icon on its platforms. These videos are to be co-produced with approved institutions and non-profits, and must address manipulative and unfair data processing practices.

Meta has pushed back against these directives, describing them as “unworkable” and asserting that the Nigerian authorities have failed to properly interpret their own data laws.