SERAP Urges Zuckerberg and Meta to Pay $220M Fine and Compensate Victims for Privacy Violations in Nigeria

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called for Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta Platforms, to immediately pay a $220 million fine imposed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) of Nigeria. The fine was upheld by the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal due to Meta’s serious violations of Nigerian consumers’ data protection and privacy laws.

In addition to the fine, SERAP urged Zuckerberg and Meta to offer adequate compensation to victims and implement effective remedies. This includes ensuring guarantees of non-repetition of these violations, along with a commitment to justice for the affected Nigerian consumers. The organization emphasized the need for the company to be held accountable and to take concrete steps to prevent future breaches.

The Tribunal’s decision also included an order for Meta to pay $35,000 to the FCCPC as compensation for the cost of the investigation. SERAP has pressed for Zuckerberg and Meta to comply promptly with the ruling and take immediate action to rectify the situation by halting the ongoing violations.

The letter from SERAP, signed by deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, highlighted that Zuckerberg, as CEO, should lead Meta in enhancing transparency, implementing human rights due diligence, and ensuring proper accountability for those responsible for the violations, underlining the need for the company to align its operations with international privacy standards.

Source: The Guardian