The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has been given permission by the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court to send Facebook’s owner Meta with a summons.
The court approved the request after receiving an application from ARCON in an ongoing N30 billion lawsuit against the social media juggernaut for breaking Nigeria’s current advertising rules.
The writ is to be served at the Meta corporate headquarters, which also controls the social media networks Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.
ARCON is asking for a ruling that it is unlawful to post different advertisements and marketing communications materials with Nigerian audiences on Meta’s platforms without first having them reviewed and approved by its advertising standards panel.
ARCON is consequently asking for a permanent injunction to prevent the defendants, their privies, agents, servants and associates from publishing any advertising or marketing communications materials without recourse to ARCON in line with the country’s advertising law.