President Bola Tinubu has ordered a major investigation into some of the world’s biggest technology companies, including Meta, Google, X (formerly Twitter), and several Generative Artificial Intelligence platforms, over allegations of anti-competitive practices and the unlawful use of content belonging to Nigerian media organisations. The directive, issued through the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), follows growing concerns that global digital platforms are benefiting from Nigerian journalism without providing fair compensation to publishers and content creators.
The move comes months after Tinubu pledged support for Nigerian media organisations battling declining revenues, job losses, and what they describe as the overwhelming dominance of global technology firms. The investigation was prompted by a petition submitted by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), which represents newspaper owners, journalists, broadcasters, and online publishers. The group argues that the growing influence of Big Tech companies is threatening the survival of local media businesses and weakening the country’s news ecosystem.
According to the FCCPC, the probe will examine allegations that technology companies have engaged in unfair market practices, abused their dominant positions, and exploited journalistic content without proper authorisation. A key focus of the investigation will be claims that some AI platforms have scraped, ingested, and commercially used copyrighted news articles, broadcast materials, and other original content to train artificial intelligence models. Nigerian publishers have also complained that they have been denied meaningful opportunities to negotiate compensation for the use of their work.
FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Tunji Bello, stressed that the investigation would be transparent, evidence-based, and fair to all parties involved. He noted that the inquiry is not an assumption of wrongdoing but an effort to establish facts and determine whether any actions violate the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 or other applicable laws. Bello emphasized that both the media industry and technology sector play critical roles in Nigeria’s development and that the commission’s duty is to ensure a balanced and competitive digital environment.
The investigation places Nigeria alongside several countries that have taken steps to address tensions between media organisations and technology companies. In South Africa, regulatory intervention led to a compensation arrangement worth millions of dollars for news publishers. Industry stakeholders believe the outcome of Nigeria’s probe could have far-reaching consequences for journalism, digital regulation, and the future relationship between local publishers and global technology giants. While Google and Meta acknowledged requests for comments on the development, neither company had issued a detailed response at the time of reporting.
source: punch