Breaking: Tinubu Orders Probe of Google, Facebook, X, Others, Reason Emerges
- President Bola Tinubu has ordered an investigation into global tech firms, including Google, Facebook, and others, over anti-competitive practices in Nigeria
- Tinubu's directive was based on Nigerian Press Organisation petitions to the FCCPC about exploitation of news content and digital platforms' influence
- The FCCPC has vowed to conduct the probe transparently, amidst mixed public reactions regarding consumer protections
President Bola Tinubu has reportedly ordered the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to probe the major global technology companies, including Meta, Alphabet (Google), X (formerly Twitter), and some Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms, over allegations of anti-competitive practices and the illegal exploitation of Nigerian news content.
The development came after a formal petition from the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), which was a representation of key media agencies, including the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) and Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON).
Source: Twitter
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Director of Corporate Affairs of the FCCPC, Ondaje Ijagwu, on Monday, July 4, saying that President Tinubu has directed the commission to examine the petition that was jointly submitted to the presidency by the Nigerian media.
Tinubu's directive to the FCCPC was reportedly contained in a letter signed by Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information and National Orientation. The media stakeholders expressed concerns about the growing influence of some digital platforms on the survival of the news industry in Nigeria.
In his reaction, the executive vice chairman and chief executive officer of the FCCPC, Tunji Bello, said that the investigation into the claim will be carried out with transparency and an evidence-based approach.
Nigerians react as Tinubu orders FCCPC
The directive has started generating reactions from Nigerians. Below are some of their comments:
Assat called for the probe of Nigeria's loan apps and accused the financial institutions of extorting Nigerians:
"Pseudo-organisations that should be investigated are the loan-sharks. They are preying on Nigerians because regulators are looking the other way. A lot of predatory practices are going on. Nigerians are helpless; they don't trust the system to protect them."
Source: Twitter
Ahmad Sardauna said that the FCCPC has been a responsive and active government agency:
"I can testify to the fact that FCCPC are one of the most active government agencies in Nigeria. I wrote my complaints about a Big company, and within 24 hours FCCPC contacted the company and the company called me to resolve the issues, all within 24 hours."
Kingsley Ibietela Felix urged the government to probe loan companies:
"Why? Why am I paying a 9k service charge for a 120k loan by @flexicash, @palmpay_ng? Shouldn’t you finish with the small tech criminals first?"
Onyie said that his petition has not been responded to:
"How long does it take to get a response to a complaint? I sent mine over 2 weeks ago, and there has been no response. My ID no is FC04616."
Read the full statement on X here:
Atiku queries Tinubu on IMF claim
Legit.ng earlier reported that Atiku Abubakar, the former vice president of Nigeria and the 2027 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has alleged potential institutional corruption in the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement sent to Legit.ng on Saturday, July 4, the 2027 presidential hopeful maintained that the recent revelation by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that the country omitted public expenditure that was equivalent to two per cent of Nigeria's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from recent budgets exposed the assertion in Tinubu's government.
Source: Legit.ng
