Nigeria and Meta look set to settle their data protection dispute.
Both parties informed a court in Abuja that they were at an “advanced” stage of negotiations to resolve a lawsuit that saw Nigeria’s data watchdog impose a nearly $33 million fine on the Silicon Valley giant.
Meta’s WhatsApp, Facebook, and Messenger apps are widely used for communications and commerce in Africa, and as the continent’s most populous country Nigeria, with its growing smartphone use, is one of Meta’s most important markets.
The company also faces a separate case with Nigeria’s consumer protection agency: It was fined $220 million last year over allegations of “multiple and repeated, as well as continuing infringements” of the country’s data protection and competition laws. Meta disputed Nigeria’s findings and decision to fine it, but a tribunal upheld the decision in April.
The clashes with Nigeria are among a string of rows Meta has faced in Africa. Content moderators in Kenya, who worked for Meta contractors, are in a compensation battle with the company for harm allegedly incurred from their work.