TheNewsGuru

Tag: Meta

  • Facebook owners challenge FG’s N32.8m fine

    Facebook owners challenge FG’s N32.8m fine

    The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has prayed the Federal High Court (FHC) in Abuja to dismiss, in its entirety, a suit filed by Meta Platforms, Inc. challenging the sanctions imposed on it.

    The NDPC had, on Feb. 18, imposed both a remedial fee of 32,800,000 million US dollars and eight corrective orders against Meta Inc.

    The American multinational technology company was alleged to have violated the fundamental privacy rights of its Nigerian users with respect to behavioural advertising on Facebook and Instagram.

    Dissatisfied with the action, Meta Platforms Inc., in a motion ex-parte dated and filed on Feb. 26, dragged the regulatory agency to court as sole respondent.

    In the motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/355/2025 and moved by Fred Onuofia, SAN, on March 4, Justice James Omotosho granted one of the two orders sought.

    The judge had granted leave to Meta to commence proceedings by way of judicial-review seeking, inter alia, an order of certiorari quashing the compliance and enforcement orders dated Feb. 18 issued by NDPC against the company, “and all other investigations, proceedings and actions taken by respondent against the applicant leading to the ‘Final Orders.’”

    He, however, refused to grant Meta’s relief seeking a stay of the proceedings of all matters relating to the “Final Orders” issued by NDPC against it, pending the hearing and determination of the judicial review proceedings.

    Instead, the judge made an order of accelerated hearing of the suit.

    The firm, in its originating summons filed by the lead counsel, Prof. Gbolahan Elias, SAN, wants the court to determine whether NDPC’s investigative process and ensuing compliance and enforcement orders (the Final Orders) issued on Feb. 18 were invalid, null and void.

    Meta, in its application dated and filed March 19, hinged the question on the allegation that the commission failed to provide it with adequate notice or an opportunity to be heard on alleged violations of the NDP Act prior to issuing the “Final Orders.”

    Meta argued that such action violated its due process rights, including its right to fair hearing under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), among other reliefs.

    But NDPC, in a preliminary objection to Meta’s suit, told the court that the suit is incompetent and the court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain same.

    The regulatory agency, in its application dated April 10 and filed April 11 by its lawyer and the head, ALPHA & ROHI Law Firm, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, urged the court to either strike out or dismiss the case.

    Adedipe, in two grounds of argument, submitted that the originating summons filed by the company is incompetent for non-compliance with the mandatory provision of Order 34 Rule 6(1) of the FHC (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019.

    Quoting the provision, the lawyer said: “No ground shall be relied upon or any relief sought at the hearing, except the grounds and reliefs sought in the statement.”

    He also argued that the suit, as presently constituted, is grossly incompetent and academic, the reliefs sought therein, not being capable of activating the jurisdiction of the court.

    “The suit is liable to be struck out/dismissed, in limine,” Adedipe argued.

    The NDPC, in the affidavit attached to the preliminary objection, stated that by an ex-parte motion, Meta Inc. filed the case.

    The commission said that the company had filed the suit, seeking leave to apply for judicial review against the decision of the respondent taken on Feb. 18.

    It averred that there was a statement made pursuant to Order 34 of the Rules of the court, supporting the said application, containing the company’s two reliefs.

    It said the court granted permission on March 4 for Meta to commence the proceeding, by way of judicial review.

    According to the respondent, the originating summons filed by the plaintiff was commenced on 19th March, 2025, 15 days after leave was granted for the judicial review proceedings to be commenced.

    NDPC, however, contended that the reliefs contained in the originating summons were completely different from the reliefs contained in the statement filed to support the ex-parte application for judicial review.

    It said it believes that this error on the part of Meta was fundamental and “the defendant/applicant (NDPC) does not intend to waive its right to object, in this regard.”

    “The defendant/applicant does not intend to waive its rights in challenging these fundamental errors, which are fatal to this proceeding and jurisdiction of the court.”

    The commission said it would be in the interest of justice for its objection to be sustained.

    Also, in a counter affidavit deposed to by NDPC ‘s staff, Osunleye Olatubosun, in opposition to the originating summons filed by Meta on March 19, he said the suit was brought under the judicial review procedure, primarily, to contest the decision of his office against Meta.

    Olatubosun averred that in the NDPC ‘s decision, Meta was sanctioned after a protracted and thorough process of investigation.

    He said the investigative power of the commission was activated by a petition written by an organisation, the Personal Data Protection Awareness Initiative (PDPAI).

    The PDPAI had alleged that the company breached the data protection rights of users of Facebook and Instagram.

    He averred that in the said petition, the plaintiff was alleged to be engaging in behavioural advertising without obtaining explicit consent of data subjects (users).

    He said compelling evidence were provided in support of the petition, revealing Meta’s private policy showing that it conducted behavioural advertising, without obtaining consent from the data subjects.

    The officer, in the counter affidavit dated and filed on April 30, described behavioural advertisement as “a special form of targeted advertising, where consumers are shown advertisements based on their behavioural data.”

    He said it is a kind of advertising which collects and tracks individual sensitive information, without their knowledge or consent, to either share with third parties, or to decide specialised advertisements to be shown to the consumers.

    Olatubosun said during investigation, NDPC drew the company’s attention to some very disturbing violations in this regard, especially as to non-consensual data processing activities.

    He said these included the disclosure of sensitive personal data of minors relating to their sex lives; sensitive personal data of minors involving drug use; and sensitive personal data of minor pupils in school, involving erotic dancing.

    He said it also revealed sponsored advertisements on gambling, involving the manipulated personal data of a female journalist on TVC; sponsored advertisement on gambling involving the manipulated personal data of a male journalist on Channels; and manipulated personal data of public figures, conspiring to commit a felony; explicit video of a woman delivering a child, with her genitals in full display, etc.

    He said Meta was, therefore, found in breach of certain provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection (NDP) Act, and that its promotion of debasing images outside the expectation of concerned data subjects offended the principles of fairness, lawfulness, transparency, accountability and duty of care.

    Besides, the officer said failure of the company to file a compliance audit with the commission for the year 2022, was a breach of the NDP Act.

    He equally said that cross border transfer of data by Meta, contravened mandatory requirements under the NDP Act.

    Olatubosun, who said that it was wrong for the plaintiff to process the data of its non-users of it platforms, added that Meta’s privacy policy violates relevant provisions of the NDP Act.

    Against these development, the officer said the commission ordered the firm to, henceforth, “seek express consent of data subjects in Nigeria, where their personal data for behavioural advertising will be process.

    “Carry out Data Processing Impact Assessment, taking into account the democratic development of Nigeria; update its privacy policy; cease and desist from transferring data out of Nigeria without approval of the commission, in line with the NDP Act.

    “Create an appropriate icon link for educative videos, on the dangers of manipulative, unlawful and unfair data processing; put in place sufficient measures for the protection of data privacy on its platforms; and payment of 32, 800, 000 USD.”

    Olatubosun said that the case lacks merit, praying the court to dismiss it.

    Meanwhile, other reliefs sought by Meta in the main suit, include whether NDPC’s initiation of its investigation, based on a petition submitted by an organisation, rather than on a complaint filed by a “data subject” (as defined under Section 65 of NDPA), invalidates the investigation and the “Final Orders.”

    It also prayed the court for an order of certiorari, quashing the investigation, all proceedings constituted thereby, as well as the ensuing “Final Orders” issued by the commission against it.

    It equally sought an order of injunction restraining NDPC from enforcing or taking steps to enforce any or all of the orders and/or intimidating, harassing or coercing the applicant to pay the purported remedial fee as contained in the “Final Orders.”

    However, Meta, in a motion on notice filed on April 23, sought to amend its statement attached to the ex-parte application, having seen through the notice of preliminary objection which was filed by Adeola Adedipe, SAN, on behalf of the commission.

    Onuofia, SAN, while adopting all their processes, said the motion sought an order granting leave to the company to amend its statement pursuant to Order 34, Rule 3(2)(a) of the FHC rules.

    He said it also sought an order deeming the amended statement, which had already been filed and served on NDPC as having been properly filed and served.

    Giving grounds why his application should be grated, Onuofia said on March 4, the court heard and granted their motion ex-parte for leave.

    He said, thereafter, Meta filed it originating summons on March 19.

    The lawyer, however, told the judge that the firm sought to amend the wording of the reliefs and grounds set out in the statement to replicate the wording used in the originating summons.

    He said the decision was to ensure efficiency and the full and fair hearing of the issues arising in the originating summons.

    According to him, the proposed amended statement highlights the amendments that the applicant seeks permission to make to the statement.

    Onuofia said the requested amendment would not cause any injustice to NDPC.

    But Adedipe vehemently opposed Onuofia’s prayer seeking an amendment, urging the court to dismiss the application.

    The senior counsel told the court that a counter affidavit was filed on May 2 in opposition to the motion.

    He argued that the application was presumptuous and misleading.

    He submitted that an amendment of a process is not as of right, but entirely at the discretion of the court, where such is practicable and lawful to do so.

    Adedipe argued that the reliefs sought in a statement attached to a judicial review procedure cannot be amended, except the grounds for which the reliefs are premised.

    He said the reliefs contained in the statement, are such that must be reproduced in the originating process filed, after leave had been granted for judicial review.

    According to him, the applicant seeks to amend the reliefs set out in the unattached predicate “statement.”

    “There can be no amendment to incompetent reliefs set out in the statement,” he said.

    The lawyer argued that to concede that the reliefs contained in the predicate statement should be amended, was to make a mockery of the entire proceedings as the court had already granted the said reliefs contained in Exhibit A.

    ‘This is suggestive that the court already determined the substantive suit in favour of the applicant, ex-parte.

    “The application before this court is not for ‘substitution’ of the reliefs, but amendment of orders or reliefs which had already been granted in the ex-parte application,” he argued.

    He added that what Meta sought to do was to substitute the reliefs, under the guise of amendment.

    He said the application contradicted Order 34(6)(1) of the FHC (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019.

    “It projects a lot of incongruity,” he said, arguing that there was no provision under the Rules to amend reliefs in the statement; but that only grounds of the reliefs can be amended.

    Justice Omotosho adjourned the matter until Oct. 3 for consolidated ruling on the preliminary objection and motion to amend.

  • Oyo govt reaffirms ban on use of special eye glasses for exams

    Oyo govt reaffirms ban on use of special eye glasses for exams

    As examination malpractice peddlers make quick gains using various online platforms, the Oyo State government has reaffirmed its ban on mobile phones, smart watches, including Meta eyeglasses in schools.

    WhatsApp channels have become a veritable means of leaking examination questions in Nigeria, and particularly in Oyo State, the State government noted.

    The Oyo Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr Olusegun Olayiwola, reiterated the position of the state in ensuring credibility of examinations in a statement on Wednesday in Ibadan.

    Olayiwola said that there would be sanctions especially during examinations, warning that violators will face strict consequences

    While addressing education stakeholders including Permanent Secretaries, Inspectors General of Education (PS/IGEs), and Heads of Departments during a meeting, Olayiwola emphasised the importance of discipline and integrity in the conduct of examinations.

    The commissioner noted that an official circular already prohibits students from bringing mobile phones into school premises and examination venues.

    He urged school authorities to enforce this directive without exception.

    Olayiwola further stressed that the use of smart watches, meta eyeglasses, and other devices that could facilitate examination malpractice were also strictly prohibited.

    The commissioner called on teachers, parents, and guardians to monitor their wards closely and ensure compliance with these directives.

    “We must all work together to uphold the integrity of our education system and maintain discipline across our schools,” he stated.

  • Meta warns it may shut down Facebook, Instagram in Nigeria [SEE REASONS]

    Meta warns it may shut down Facebook, Instagram in Nigeria [SEE REASONS]

    Nigerians could lose access to Facebook and Instagram as Meta, the platforms’ parent company, has threatened to suspend its services in the country due to what it describes as excessive fines and “unrealistic” regulatory demands from Nigerian authorities.

    The tech giant is facing fines totaling over $290 million imposed by three Nigerian regulatory bodies last year, citing breaches of competition, advertising, and data protection laws. Meta recently lost its bid to overturn these penalties in the Federal High Court in Abuja.

    In court filings, Meta stated it may be “forced to effectively shut down” Facebook and Instagram in Nigeria to avoid the consequences of enforcement actions. WhatsApp, another Meta-owned platform, was not mentioned in the statement.

    The Federal High Court has given Meta until the end of June to settle the fines. The BBC reached out to the company for comment but has yet to receive a response.

    Facebook remains the most widely used social media platform in Nigeria, crucial not only for everyday communication but also for thousands of small businesses that rely on it for marketing and operations.

    The penalties include a $220 million fine from the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) for alleged anti-competitive behavior, $37.5 million from the advertising regulator for unauthorized ads, and $32.8 million from the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) for data privacy violations.

    FCCPC chief Adamu Abdullahi claimed that investigations conducted with the NDPC between May 2021 and December 2023 uncovered invasive practices affecting Nigerian users, although specifics were not disclosed.

    Meta’s main dispute lies with the NDPC, which it accused of misinterpreting data privacy laws. The commission has demanded prior approval for transferring user data outside Nigeria—something Meta calls “unrealistic.” Other requirements include prominently displaying educational content about data privacy risks, co-produced with government-approved institutions and nonprofits.

    Meta criticized the NDPC’s approach, calling its expectations “unfeasible” and arguing that the commission had failed to accurately interpret the country’s data protection laws.

    (BBC)

     

     

  • Privacy rights: Pay $220m fine, compensate victims or face legal action, SERAP tells Zuckerberg, Meta

    Privacy rights: Pay $220m fine, compensate victims or face legal action, SERAP tells Zuckerberg, Meta

    Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Mr. Mark Zuckerberg, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Meta Platforms Incorporated (Facebook) to “immediately pay the $220 million fine imposed on Meta by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), and upheld by the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal.”

    SERAP urged Mr. Zuckerberg and Meta “to provide (in addition to the fine) justice and effective remedies, including adequate compensation and guarantees of non-repetition for the victims of the grave violations of Nigerian consumer, data protection and privacy laws and international human rights standards.”

    SERAP also urged Mr. Zuckerberg and Meta to “immediately pay the $35,000 awarded by the Tribunal to the FCCPC as cost of investigation.”

    SERAP urged Mr. Zuckerberg and Meta to “immediately halt the violations found by the Tribunal and prevent their re-occurrence, as well as ensure the accountability of any person(s) responsible for the violations.”

    Last Friday the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal upheld the $220 million fine against Meta by Nigeria’s FCCPC for the grave violations of consumer, data protection and privacy laws.

    In the letter dated 26 April 2025 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “As Chairman and CEO, you ought to ensure enhanced transparency, human rights due diligence, accountability and remediation by Meta to ensure that Nigerians’ human rights are not threatened or violated.”

    SERAP said, “The Tribunal’s judgment confirms that the operations of Meta (Facebook) in Nigeria have violated Nigerians’ human rights and continued to have a chilling effect on the enjoyment of human rights on Meta platforms.”

    The open letter, read in part: “SERAP is concerned that the human rights violations found by the Tribunal may be ongoing, and have a high risk of recurrence, if not adequately and effectively redressed.”

    “SERAP urges you and Meta not to unnecessarily prolong the harms suffered by the victims by resisting the temptation to pursue any appeal against the Tribunal’s judgment under the provisions of section 55 the FCCP Act.”

    “The Tribunal’s judgment also shows clear and strong evidence that the operations of Meta in Nigeria are inconsistent and incompatible with international human rights standards including the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.”

    “We would be grateful if these measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions at the national, regional or international levels to compel you and Meta to comply with our requests in the public interest.”

    “Our requests are brought in the public interest, and in keeping with the requirements of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and other applicable international human standards binding on Meta.”

    “SERAP is concerned that Meta has not only grossly violated the provisions of the FCCP Act as confirmed by the Tribunal but also international human rights standards including the UN Guiding Principle on Business and Human Rights.”

    “SERAP notes that your companies have a responsibility to respect human rights as set forth by the UN Guiding Principle on Business and Human Rights.”

    “This responsibility requires that Meta avoid causing or contributing to adverse human rights impacts through its own activities, and adequately and effectively redress such impacts when they occur.”

    “Meta should seek to prevent or mitigate adverse human rights impacts that are directly linked to its operations, products or services.”

    “Your companies also have the responsibility to contribute to and facilitate the exercise of the rights to privacy and to ensure data security and privacy, and ensure that the use of data is in compliance with international human rights law.”

    “Section 152 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection (FCCP) Act provides that where – (a) the consumer’s right has been violated, or (b) a wrong has been committed, the consumer shall in addition to the redress which the Commission may impose have a right of civil action for compensation or restitution.’”

    “Under section 154 of the FCCP Act, victims of the grave violations by Meta are entitled to adequate compensation for the harm suffered.”

    “Section 54 of the FCCP Act provides that ‘An order, ruling, award or judgment of the Tribunal shall be- (a) binding on the parties [including Meta] before the Tribunal; and (b) registered with the Federal High Court for the purpose of enforcement only.’”

    “According to our information, the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal on Friday, April 25, 2025 upheld the $220 million fine against Meta Platforms for the grave violations of Nigerian consumer, data protection and privacy laws and international human rights standards.”

    “The Tribunal’s judgment followed the administrative penalty imposed on Meta on July 19, 2024 by the FCCPC after concluding that the companies engaged in discriminatory and exploitative practices against Nigerians.”

    “The Tribunal’s judgment followed a 38-month joint investigation initiated by the FCCPC and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) into the conduct, privacy practices, and consumer data policies of Meta Platforms and WhatsApp.”

    SERAP therefore urged Mr. Zuckerberg and Meta to:

    1. Publicly commit to immediately obeying the Tribunal’s judgment and paying the $220 million fine against Meta for the grave violations of Nigerian consumer, data protection and privacy laws and international human rights standards.

    2. Publicly commit to immediately identifying the victims and providing them justice and effective remedies, including adequate compensation and guarantees of non-repetition for the grave violations they have suffered.

    3. Publicly commit to immediately paying the $35,000 awarded by the Tribunal to the FCCPC as cost of investigation.

    4. Promptly provide information as to what human rights due diligence steps, as set out in the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, if any, have been undertaken by your companies to identify, mitigate, and remedy the impact of the violations found by the Tribunal on Nigerians’ enjoyment of their human rights, including the right to privacy.

    5. Promptly provide information as to how Meta is applying the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and other applicable international human rights standards to all stages of its operations in Nigeria, following the Tribunal’s judgment.

    6. Promptly provide information as to the steps your companies have taken, or are considering, in publishing transparency reports regarding the violations found by the Tribunal, and putting international human rights standards at the centre of your business model.

  • Meta apologizes for removing Malaysian PM posts on slain Hamas leader

    Meta apologizes for removing Malaysian PM posts on slain Hamas leader

    Meta has apologized over the removal of social media posts by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim about the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

    It would be recalled that Anwar’s office summoned Meta representatives to seek an explanation on why the leader’s Facebook and Instagram posts about Haniyeh’s death had been removed.

    Meta is the parent firm of the two popular social media platforms.

    “We apologise for an operational error where content from the Prime Minister’s Facebook and Instagram Pages were removed,” Meta said in a statement emailed to AFP.

    “The content has since been restored with the correct newsworthy label.”

    The political leader of Palestinian armed group Hamas was killed in the Iranian capital Tehran on Wednesday in an attack blamed on Israel, which has not directly commented on it.

    The slain Hamas boss has since been buried in Qatar where he lived.

    Anwar’s posts included a video showing the premier on a phone call with a Hamas official, offering his condolences.

    On Instagram, there was a note by Meta, shared by Anwar, that the posts were taken down because of association with “dangerous individuals and organisations”.

    Anwar’s office had described Meta’s removal of the posts as “a blatant suppression of free expression” and demanded an apology from the tech behemoth.

    Anwar last week accused the tech giant of “cowardice” for removing his posts.

    Israel, the United States and the European Union consider Hamas a terrorist organisation.

    Anwar, who met Haniyeh in Qatar in May, has defended Malaysia’s ties with the Iran-backed Palestinian militant group, which launched a deadly attack against Israel on October 7 that triggered the war in Gaza.

    Anwar stressed during a visit to Germany in March that Malaysia’s links were with Hamas’ political wing and not with its military arm.

  • Osun, Delta fine Google, Meta $350m each for tax evasion

    Osun, Delta fine Google, Meta $350m each for tax evasion

    The tax authorities in Osun and Delta States have fined Google Nigeria and Meta Platforms, Inc.,150 million dollars and 200 million dollars respectively for alleged non-remittance of Withholding Tax.

    The fine is specifically for the Withholding Tax (WHT) allegedly deducted from content creators and entertainers in the two states from 2020 till date.

    This is contained in separate letters signed by Messrs Sola Adewunmi, and Solomon Ighrakpata, Executive Chairmen, Osun and Delta States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) respectively.

    The letters, also signed by Ademola Odetunde, Chief Operating Officer, LafriquePromedia Ltd., the revenue collection agent for the states, were made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

    According to Odetunde, LafriquePromedia is also consulting for the IRS of Plateau, which is also facing the same challenge and coming up with similar demand.

    He said that the companies were issued a 14-days notice of compliance, effective July 12 and July 19 respectively, from the affected states.

    He said that the companies, upon the receipt of those letters, would face the consequences for non-compliance.

    Odetunde said that the states were demanding for the payment of 150 million dollars and 200 million dollars respectively, being assessed withholding tax deducted, but not remitted by the companies, at the rate of five per cent to the states.

    He said that the revenue or payment were from digital services provided to content creators, practitioners in the entertainment and creative sector within Delta and Osun states.

    ”By this demands and notices for compliance, we hereby advise your companies to comply with our demands through our revenue agent within the next 14 days.

    ”We want to bring your attention to the fact that the concept of WHT is a form of advance payment of income tax, which is deductable at source on payment made for certain commercial transactions by Nigerian customers.

    ”Same must be remitted to the appropriate tax authorities – Federal, by corporate bodies, or State Internal Revenue Service, by individual, enterprises and partnership within 21 days after the end of the month the transaction was made,” he said.

    According to him, the companies, as an operator of Social Media Platform within the Osun and Delta states’ digital landscape, are mandated to withhold tax in line with the provisions of the extant law.

    Odetunde, who is also a legal practitioner, added that the law required non-resident companies providing digital services in Nigeria to withhold tax.

    He said that this also meant that the companies were required by law to collect and remit WHT on digital services provided to customers within the Osun and Delta states’ digital landscape.

    He recalled that the concept of withholding tax was introduced to curb tax leakages, gather information of commercial activities being carried out by both resident and non-resident businesses.

    Withholding tax is mostly used for collecting tax on non-residents’ income in Nigeria where cross border enforcement is impracticable.

    Odetunde said the procedure for implementing withholding tax for non-resident companies operating digital services within Osun and Delta states’ digital landscape included the deduction of such tax from payments for specified activities.

    He said the procedure also included services provided to content creators and online practitioners within Osun and Delta states as well as remittances of the tax to the relevant tax authorities through its designated agent.

    The legal practitioner also said that the submission of withholding tax schedule to the relevant tax authorities showing details of the beneficiaries such as the name and address of the recipient, was part of the procedure.

    It also included the gross amount of the transaction, the amount of the tax and the percentage that had been deducted among other things.

    Odetunde said: ”We observed that over the years your companies willfully refused, failed and neglected to remit the withheld tax to the local tax authority for Osun and Delta states, Nigeria.

    ”Take further notice that, when a non-resident company deducts WHT from payment for digital services provided to customers within Osun and Delta states digital landscape.

    ”Without remitting same to the local tax authorities, which is Osun and Delta States Internal Revenue Services, a criminal offence has been committed by such non-resident company.

    ”The law permits us to prosecute the offending non-resident companies and take necessary steps to recover the WHT.”

    Odetunde warned the companies to also note that the penalty for non-compliance for companies, including non-resident companies, upon conviction, included a fine of 10 per cent of the amount not deducted or deducted but not remitted.

    He said: ”This shall be added thereto, plus interest at the prevailing commercial rate presently at 21 per cent, while the officers of a non-compliant corporate taxpayer may be imprisoned or fined or both, if found guilty of tax crime.

    ”We do hope that this polite demand notice for compliance will jolt your company to do the needful without further delay.

    According to Odetunde, the revenue agent has been writing to the companies since Oct. 13, 2023 in respect of the matter, to no avail.

  • Yahoo Yahoo: Facebook delists 63,000 accounts belonging to Nigerians

    Yahoo Yahoo: Facebook delists 63,000 accounts belonging to Nigerians

    Meta has removed 63,000 Facebook accounts linked to Nigerian individuals suspected of being ‘Yahoo Boys’—a term used to describe internet scammers in Nigeria—engaged in financial sextortion.

     

    The US-based company announced this move in a statement titled “Combating Financial Sextortion Scams From Nigeria.” This action follows the Nigerian consumer regulator, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), imposing a $220 million fine on Meta and its messaging platform, WhatsApp, for alleged data privacy breaches and discriminatory practices against Nigerians.

     

    Meta has indicated its intention to appeal the fine but stated that the removal of the 63,000 accounts is part of its measures against criminal activities. The company explained, “We’ve banned Yahoo Boys under Meta’s Dangerous Organizations and Individuals Policy—one of our strictest policies—which means we remove accounts of Yahoo Boys who engage in this criminal activity whenever we become aware of them. First, we removed around 63,000 accounts in Nigeria that attempted to directly engage in financial sextortion scams.”

     

    This action reflects Meta’s ongoing efforts to combat online scams and protect users from financial exploitation.

  • Meta will appeal $220m fine by Nigerian govt – WhatsApp

    Meta will appeal $220m fine by Nigerian govt – WhatsApp

    WhatsApp says its parent body, Meta, will be appealing the $220 million fine imposed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) regarding its violation of Nigeria’s data privacy laws.

    The organisation, Whatsapp, said this in a statement made available on Saturday in Lagos.

    It said: “We disagree with the decision today as well as the fine and Meta will be appealing the decision.

    “In 2021, we went to users globally to explain how talking to businesses among other things would work and while there was a lot of confusion then, it has actually proven quite popular,” the organisation said.

    NAN reports that the reaction follows a statement released by the FCCPC and signed by its acting Executive Chairman, Adamu Abdullahi, saying that Meta had denied Nigerian users control over their data.

    The FCCPC said that Meta had also shared the users data without consent, and abused its market dominance.

    According to the statement released to the media, the FCCPC’s final order  imposed a monetary penalty of two hundred and twenty million U.S. Dollars only, on Meta.

    The penalty is in accordance with the FCCPA 2018, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection (Administrative Penalties) Regulations 2020,” the statement said.

    The FCCPC announced that it initiated its investigation in May 2021, based on evidence suggesting that Meta, through its platforms, had breached the provisions of the FCCPA 2018 and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation 2019.

    It stated that these regulations were in effect prior to the enactment and implementation of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.

    The competition protection body noted that Meta responded to document requests and summons by providing some information.

    It stated that Meta’s representatives and retained legal counsel had consistently engaged with and met investigators and analysts from the commission and the NDPC, including as recently as April 4, 2024.

    The FCCPC highlighted that its investigation uncovered evidence of Meta engaging in practices that were abusive and invasive towards data consumers in Nigeria.

    This included collecting personal data without consent and implementing discriminatory practices against Nigerians, among other issues.

    Meta Platforms, Inc., doing business as Meta, is an American multinational technology conglomerate based in Menlo Park, California.

    The company owns and operates Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp, among other products and services.

  • BREAKING: Facebook team visits Tinubu, makes big announcement for Instagram

    BREAKING: Facebook team visits Tinubu, makes big announcement for Instagram

    A team from Meta, owners of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads, visited Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu on Thursday and made a big announcement regarding monetisation for its photo sharing platform.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the Meta’s team, led by Sir Nick Clegg, former UK Deputy Prime Minister and Meta’s President of Global Affairs, was received by President Tinubu at the State House in Abuja.

    Speaking during the visit, Sir Clegg thanked Tinubu for an executive order he issued, which enabled the landing of 2Africa, the Meta-backed deep-sea cable in Nigeria.

    “It is an extraordinary infrastructure project. When it comes on stream in the first quarter of 2025, it will be twice as much as the capacity of all subsea cables that exist.

    “We buried the cable 50 percent deeper than any other subsea cables under the seabed. It is more powerful and more extensive in terms of its geographical connectivity.

    “It could yield up to 37 billion dollars worth of increase in economic activity in the next two or three years across the African continent,” he said.

    Sir Clegg also said Meta will introduce in June 2024 a feature on its Instagram app that will allow Nigerian creators to monetize their content to enable them to earn a living using the app.

    “We have a lot to do with Nigeria to deepen partnerships,” he added.

    Welcoming the delegation President Tinubu said his administration is working to sustain investments in digital technology to enhance the sustainability of small businesses, expand opportunities across sectors, and propel Nigeria to become the lodestar of information and communications technology in Africa.

    Tinubu said Nigeria cannot afford to be left behind in this age of technological advancements; hence, his administration is opening up channels of opportunities in information and communications technology, deepening capacity, and fostering partnerships.

    In view of his administration’s 3MTT programme, which is training three million Nigerian youths in digital technology and essential skills before deploying them to innovation hubs across the nation, the President emphasized that Nigerian youths are the most critical asset in Nigeria’s arsenal as it moves to achieve digital economic expansion.

    “For us in Nigeria, we have a vibrant, gifted and resourceful youth population. Recognizing that the future is most likely to be AI-enabled, we have to prepare our youths and make them ready to compete and participate in the global economy.

    “I can assure you that Nigeria is open for business. We want to lead the African continent in digital technology. Data is valuable to our development. We are ready to cooperate on technological advancements. It is the only way to go. We need a collaboration that will be a win-win for all,” President Tinubu said.

    Emphasizing the importance of technology in driving small businesses, the President said he is committed to ensuring that technology is deployed, adapted, enhanced, and used to catalyze growth across a vast majority of micro businesses, spurring mass prosperity down the line.

    “What interests me is the use of technology in the development of small businesses. We need to make the business environment more conducive for you and more profitable for us as well. I hope we can collaborate and continue to promote our mutual interests,” President Tinubu told the delegation.

    Meanwhile, during the visit, Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, said Meta platforms are critical platforms in Nigeria, and as such opportunities for partnerships and engagement are essential to promoting development in the digital economy sector.

    “We must continue to engage to create opportunities for our people so they can also share in global prosperity. Digital technology is an opportunity to connect Africa to contribute to the development of the world,” Tijani said.

  • Facebook owners set to land world’s largest subsea cable in Lagos, Akwa-Ibom

    Facebook owners set to land world’s largest subsea cable in Lagos, Akwa-Ibom

    Meta, owners of Facebook, has said all is set to land 2Africa Cable, described as the world’s largest subsea cable, in Lagos and Akwa-Ibom States.

    The company’s Vice President for Africa, the Middle-East and Turkey, Kojo Boakye, said this when he led a delegation to the headquarters of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in Abuja.

    Boakye informed the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida that the purpose of the visit was to congratulate the EVC on his appointment by President Bola Tinubu and to intimate him of ongoing efforts to land the 2Africa cable in Nigeria.

    At 45,000 kilometres long, Boakye said the 2Africa submarine cable will be one of the world’s largest subsea cable projects and will interconnect Europe (eastward via Egypt), Asia (via Saudi Arabia), and Africa.

    He said the system will go live in 2023, delivering more than the total combined capacity of all subsea cables currently serving Africa, with a design capacity of up to 180 terabytes per second (Tbps).

    Boakye stated that 2Africa will deliver much-needed Internet capacity and reliability across large parts of Africa, supplement the fast-growing capacity demand in the Middle East and underpin further growth of 4G, 5G and fixed broadband access for billions of people, especially in Nigeria.

    He solicited NCC’s support in sailing through all necessary legal and regulatory hurdles in landing the submarine cable to complement existing backbone infrastructure in Nigeria.

    He said Meta plans to land the 2Africa cable simultaneously in Lagos and Akwa-Ibom States through a consortium “in order to ensure those not yet connected are connected while those already connected are given opportunity for enhanced and affordable access”.

    Speaking during the visit, Dr Maida said the support of the Commission awaits law-abiding investors like Meta, which responds positively to Nigeria’s desire for investments that promote the agenda of government to achieve a robust digital economy.

    Maida said the regulatory support to all investors, including operators in Nigeria, will be predicated on them playing by the rules and regulations guiding the sector.

    He said the Commission places a lot of premium on compliance to industry laws, regulations and guidelines as such will also engender a level-playing field for all licensees and other stakeholders in the industry for sustaining a healthy competition and guaranteeing a sustainable growth in the Nigerian telecoms sector.