WhatsApp may suspend its operations in Nigeria following a $220 million fine imposed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) for a data privacy breach.
Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, might also consider withdrawing certain services from the country.
In addition to the fine, the FCCPC has ordered WhatsApp to cease sharing user data with other Facebook companies and third parties without explicit user consent. The Commission is also demanding that WhatsApp disclose details about its data collection practices and enhance user control over data usage.
In response, a WhatsApp spokesperson told TechCabal, “We want to be clear that, technically, based on the order, it would be impossible to provide WhatsApp in Nigeria or globally.”
Meta has not specifically addressed the FCCPC’s allegations regarding user opt-out options from the 2021 privacy policy but maintains that the update does not involve sharing user data.