Probe Meta, Google, Others Over Alleged Media Exploitation—Tinubu Directs FCCPC

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate major global technology companies over allegations of anti-competitive practices, unlawful use of news content and other activities alleged to be undermining Nigeria’s media industry.

The directive followed a joint petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), an umbrella body comprising the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) and the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP).

The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by the FCCPC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu.

According to the statement, the Federal Government conveyed the President’s directive to the commission through a letter signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.

The commission said its investigation would extend beyond major technology companies to include Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms operating in Nigeria.

The petition accused  global technology firms, including Meta, Alphabet, X (formerly Twitter), and some Generative AI platforms, of engaging in practices that allegedly distort competition, threaten the economic sustainability of Nigerian media organisations and infringe on the rights of publishers and content creators.

FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Tunji Bello, said the commission would conduct a transparent, impartial and evidence-driven investigation into the allegations.

“We recognise the strategic importance of the media to Nigeria’s democracy and the equally significant role of technology in driving innovation and economic growth. Our responsibility is to objectively determine the facts and ensure that competition within the digital ecosystem remains fair, transparent, and consistent with Nigerian law,” Bello said.

He stressed that the investigation should not be interpreted as a finding of wrongdoing against any company.

“This inquiry is not directed at any entity by presumption of wrongdoing. Rather, it is an opportunity to carefully examine the facts, hear from all affected parties, and determine whether any conduct has resulted in anti-competitive outcomes or unfair business practices. Every party will be accorded a fair opportunity to present relevant information before any conclusions are reached.”

According to Bello, the commission will determine whether the alleged conduct violates the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 or any other applicable law.

Among the issues under investigation are allegations of abuse of market dominance and anti-competitive conduct by the affected technology firms.

The commission will also examine claims that copyrighted news articles, broadcast content and other original journalistic works were extracted, scraped, ingested or commercially exploited without the consent of publishers for the training and development of Generative AI models.

Another key aspect of the probe is the alleged lack of fair commercial agreements between global technology companies and Nigerian media organisations.

Media stakeholders argue that local publishers have been denied meaningful opportunities to negotiate compensation or establish equitable commercial terms for the use of their content, despite the increasing reliance of digital platforms and AI systems on professionally produced journalism.

The FCCPC noted that similar concerns had been addressed in South Africa, where an investigation by the South African Competition Commission resulted in an agreement for Google to pay South African news media R688 million (about $40 million) annually for between three and five years.

The commission also recalled its previous regulatory action against Meta. It noted that in 2025, it secured a judgment against the company over breaches of the FCCPA, including data privacy violations, leading to a $220 million fine. Meta is currently appealing the decision.