Some social media users across the country have advocated for the establishment of indigenous social networking platforms following the exit threat by Meta.
Meta is the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, which was heavily fined in Nigeria by a tribunal for several infractions.
The users made the call in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday,
They said that establishing an indigenous social media platform would ensure easy regulation and implementation of data protection policies in the country.
Moses Atuegwu, a WhatsApp user, said that the exit threat by Meta was uncalled for given the huge number of users and patronage they had received in the country.
Atuegwu said it was worrisome as citizens were at the mercy of foreign dominated social media platforms, hence the need for home grown platforms.
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He said: “We cannot continue to be controlled by these foreign platforms.
“We should have an alternative, which is indigenous based.”
Pearl Adekunle, another user of WhatsApp and Instagram, said that setting up home grown social media platforms would help the country to scrutinise the content consumed by users.
Adekunle said the establishment of home grown platforms would help promote indigenous technology and the country’s economy.
She said: “China and Russia have their own indigenous social media platforms and this enhances the data protection policy of their government.
“Nothing stops Nigeria from adopting the same to promote and advance indigenous technologies.”
Esther Indiana-Obong, a Facebook user, said that establishing an indigenous social media platform would help encourage competition and promote innovation in the country’s Information Technology (IT) sector.
Indiana-Obong said it would also help to reduce dependence on foreign social media brands.
Alhaji Aminu Zakari, also a social media user, said the home grown platform would help the government to effectively regulate what goes out on the social media.
NAN reports that Meta had warned that it may shut down operations in Nigeria following the tribunal ruling that upheld a $220 million fine imposed on them in July 2024.
Meta said that it may be forced to effectively shut down the Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria in order to mitigate the risk of enforcement measures.
Responding to the threat, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) had said that the threat would not exonerate the company from the fines.
The FCCPC described the threat as a calculated move aimed at inducing a negative public reaction and potentially pressuring the FCCPC to reconsider its decision.
NAN recalls that the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal had awarded $220 million against Meta Platforms Incorporated and WhatsApp LLC as an administrative penalty for the violations.
The tribunal further awarded $35,000 to the FCCPC as cost of investigation.
It ruled: “The FCCPC investigated Meta Platforms and WhatsApp (jointly referred to as ‘Meta Parties’) for allegedly violating the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR).
“The Commission found that Meta Parties engaged in multiple and repeated infringements of the FCCPA (2018) and the NDPR.
“These infringements include denying Nigerians the right to control their personal data, transferring and sharing Nigerian user data without authorisation.
“Others are discriminating against Nigerian users compared to users in other jurisdictions and abusing their dominant market position by forcing unfair privacy policies.”
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