Breaking: After Suspension on Twitter, Buhari's Govt Sues Zuckerberg's Meta, Seeks 30bn Penalty
- A serious allegation has been made against Meta Platforms Incorporated, the owners of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, by the federal government
- In a suit filed at the Federal High Court, the government claimed that the organisation showed some unapproved adverts to the Nigerian audience
- The government said the action has made it incur some great loss and is, therefore, seeking N30bn as a penalty
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Abuja - The Nigerian government, on Tuesday, October 4, filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms Incorporated at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
This happened after the owners of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp showed unapproved advertisements to the Nigerian audience, The Cable reports.
Source: Facebook
The suit which also mentioned Meta’s agent, AT3 Resources Limited, as one of the defendants, was filed by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON).
ARCON stated:
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“That the continued publication and exposure of various advertisements directed at the Nigerian market through Facebook and Instagram platforms by Meta Platforms Incorporated without ensuring same is vetted and approved before exposure is illegal, unlawful and a violation of the extant advertising Law in Nigeria.”
Meta's action has caused losses for FG - ARCON
According to the agency, this act by the foreign organisation has caused a “loss of revenue to the federal government”.
It is, therefore, seeking N30 billion as a penalty for Meta Incorporated's alleged violation of the government's advertising law.
Part of the suit seen by The Punch read:
“ARCON is seeking N30b in sanction for the violation of the advertising laws and for loss of revenue as a result of Meta Incorporated’s continued exposure of unapproved adverts on its platforms.
“ARCON reiterates that it would not permit unethical and irresponsible advertising on Nigeria’s advertising space.
“ARCON further states that it is not regulating the online media space but rather advertising and marketing communications on the online platforms in line with its establishment Act.”
Another company named Meta accuses Facebook of killing its business with name change
Meta Platforms which was formerly known as Facebook had been accused of destroying the business of another firm when it rebranded.
The company known as MetaX LLC sued Meta Platforms for trademark infringement, saying it does business openly as Meta and has been operating in the virtual and AR tech space for many years before Mark Zuckerberg changed his company’s name.
The social media company changed its corporate name in October 2021 to Meta which it said was a strategic shift in focus from just a social media company to a futuristic, immersive form of the internet-powered Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality tech known as the metaverse.
Source: Legit.ng
