WhatsApp has announced its plans to appeal a decision made by Nigeria’s Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal upholding a $220 million fine imposed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.
The messaging company disagrees with the ruling and will swiftly take action to challenge it.
Additionally, the tribunal also ordered WhatsApp and its parent company, Meta Platforms Incorporated, to pay an extra $35,000 for investigative costs.
The initial fine was imposed due to allegations of discriminatory data practices affecting Nigerian users, a claim that WhatsApp and Meta had previously appealed but was ultimately dismissed by the tribunal.
Responding to the decision, WhatsApp said: “We are urgently applying to stay the order and appeal today’s decision to avoid any impact to users.”
The company further criticised the ruling, arguing that it misrepresented its practices. “WhatsApp relies on limited data to run its service and keep users safe and it will be impossible to provide WhatsApp in Nigeria, or globally, without the infrastructure of our parent company, Meta,” it said.
WhatsApp stressed that it disagreed with the tribunal’s findings, pointing out that the FCCPC’s order included “multiple inaccuracies and misrepresented how WhatsApp worked.”
The development marks a significant legal battle as the messaging App seeks to protect its operations in one of Africa’s largest digital markets.
