According to a statement released on Tuesday by the leading regulatory body for Nigeria’s advertising ecosystem, ARCON is requesting a declaration that, among other things, Meta Platforms Incorporated’s continued publication and exposure of various advertisements directed at the Nigerian market through Facebook and Instagram platforms without ensuring that they are vetted and approved before exposure was illegal, unlawful, and in violation of the nation’s current advertising laws.
The owners of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Meta Platforms Incorporated, and its representative, AT3 Resources Limited, have been sued by the Nigerian government through the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, which is seeking N30 billion for alleged violations of advertising laws.
According to a statement released on Tuesday by the leading regulatory body for Nigeria’s advertising ecosystem, ARCON is requesting a declaration that, among other things, Meta Platforms Incorporated’s continued publication and exposure of various advertisements directed at the Nigerian market through Facebook and Instagram platforms without ensuring that they are vetted and approved before exposure was illegal, unlawful, and in violation of the nation’s current advertising laws.
According to ARCON, the Federal Government has lost money as a result of Meta Platforms Incorporated’s continuous airing of unscreened commercials.
As a result of Meta Incorporated’s ongoing exposure of prohibited advertisements on its platforms, the agency is requesting an N30 billion fine as well as compensation for lost revenue.
In a statement, ARCON reaffirmed that it [quotation]”would not permit unethical and irresponsible advertising on Nigeria’s advertising space.”[/quotation]
According to the statement, the council’s founding Act requires it to focus on advertising and marketing communications on online platforms rather than controlling the online media landscape.
