NDPC: Plans to resolve data breach dispute with Meta ongoing

The  Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) says it plans to resolve the lingering data breach dispute with Meta Platforms Inc. through dialogue and collaboration.

Vincent Olatunji, chief executive officer and national commissioner of NDPC, spoke on Monday at a one-day intensive workshop for data protection officers (DPOs) in Abuja.

Olatunji said the commission’s approach was to engage organisations and seek amicable solutions rather than escalate matters unnecessarily.

“Our new approach is partnership. We are working with them to see if we can resolve the issue,” Olatunji said.

“We don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. What we do today is to look at the issues — what do we need to resolve, and are they willing to do what is right?

“We have to look at political ways of solving it.”

In 2024, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) imposed a fine of $220 million on Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram, for multiple data privacy violations.

The FCCPC said the penalty followed a joint investigation with the NDPC into Meta Platforms’ conduct, privacy policies, operations and practices between May 2021 and December 2023.

In response, WhatsApp said it would appeal the fine and threatened to exit the country.

On April 25, the competition and consumer protection tribunal upheld the $220 million fine the FCCPC imposed on Meta.

However, the tech company responded with another threat to shut down the Nigerian operations of Facebook and Instagram.

Further speaking on the issue at the event, the data commission boss said plans are in place to resolve it and calm public anxiety.

“Even when you go to work, you see that there’s a right way to resolve issues. So, I’m sure we’re going to resolve it,” he added.

Also, at the workshop, the NDPC signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Mastercard to consolidate data protection capacity in Nigeria.

Olatunji also said the federal government was committed to increasing the number of certified DPOs with the required skills to manage data protection.

He said the workshop would be beneficial to both Nigeria and Mastercard, adding that the country had tech-savvy youths who are digital natives ready to explore.