The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Mr. Mark Zuckerberg, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Meta Platforms Incorporated (Facebook), to immediately pay the $220 million fine imposed on the company by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and upheld by the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal.
The organisation also called on Zuckerberg and Meta to provide justice and effective remedies including adequate compensation and guarantees of non-repetition for victims of what it described as grave violations of Nigerian consumer, data protection, and privacy laws, as well as international human rights standards.
SERAP’s demands followed last Friday’s judgment by the Tribunal, which upheld the FCCPC’s fine against Meta over breaches of data and consumer rights laws.
In an open letter dated April 26, 2025, and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP further urged Meta to pay the additional $35,000 awarded by the Tribunal to the FCCPC as the cost of the investigation.
The organisation also called on Zuckerberg to immediately halt the violations identified by the Tribunal, prevent their recurrence, and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
“As Chairman and CEO, you have a responsibility to ensure enhanced transparency, human rights due diligence, accountability, and remediation by Meta to protect Nigerians’ rights,” the letter stated.
SERAP noted that the Tribunal’s judgment confirmed that Meta’s operations in Nigeria violated human rights and continued to have a chilling effect on freedoms enjoyed on its platforms.
The letter partly read, “SERAP is concerned that the human rights violations found by the Tribunal may be ongoing and pose a high risk of recurrence if not adequately redressed.
“We urge you and Meta not to prolong the harms suffered by victims by resisting the Tribunal’s judgment through appeals. Under Section 55 of the FCCP Act, Meta should comply without delay.
“The judgment provides clear evidence that Meta’s operations in Nigeria are incompatible with international human rights standards, including the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
“We would be grateful if these measures are taken within seven days of receipt or publication of this letter. Failing this, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions at national, regional, or international levels to compel compliance in the public interest.”
SERAP argued that Meta had violated not only Nigeria’s FCCP Act but also international standards requiring businesses to avoid contributing to human rights abuses and to ensure adequate redress when violations occur.
The organisation stressed that Meta must contribute to the protection of privacy rights, ensure data security, and align its operations with international human rights obligations.
It cited several provisions of the FCCP Act, particularly Sections 152, 154, and 54, which provide for compensation to victims and enforcement of Tribunal judgments through the Federal High Court.
According to SERAP, the Tribunal’s judgment came after a 38-month joint investigation by the FCCPC and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) into Meta’s conduct, privacy practices, and data policies on Facebook and WhatsApp.
SERAP urged Meta and Zuckerberg to publicly commit to immediately paying the $220 million fine and the $35,000 cost awarded by the Tribunal. It asked them to identify victims and provide justice, including compensation and guarantees of non-repetition.
The group also requested that Meta disclose the steps taken to meet human rights due diligence obligations under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and explain how it is aligning its operations in Nigeria with international human rights standards following the Tribunal’s ruling.
SERAP further called on Meta to publish transparency reports regarding the violations and place human rights at the centre of its business model.
Please Share Privacy Rights: Pay $220m Fine, Compensate Victims or Face Legal Action, SERAP tells Zuckerberg, Meta Story Now.
