The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has been granted leave by the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court to serve a writ of summons on Meta, the owner of Facebook. The court ruling follows an application by ARCON, which seeks to impose a N30 billion fine on the social media giant for violating Nigeria’s advertising laws.
The writ will be served at Meta’s corporate headquarters, which also owns Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp social media platforms. While Meta is the first defendant in the lawsuit, AT3 Resources Limited is the second defendant.
ARCON is seeking a declaration that the publishing of various advertisements and marketing communications materials targeted at Nigeria through Meta’s platforms without prior vetting and approval by its advertising standards panel is illegal. The regulatory body claims that this act disregarded Nigerian culture, constitutional tenets, moral values, and religious sensitivity of citizens.
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ARCON is also seeking an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, their privies, agents, servants, and associates from publishing any advertising or marketing communications materials without recourse to ARCON in line with the country’s advertising law. In addition, ARCON is seeking N30 billion in fines and sanctions for the continued violations and infractions of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria Act No. 23 of 2022.
The lawsuit highlights the increasing scrutiny that social media platforms face in Nigeria, particularly in the area of content regulation. Meta has not responded to the lawsuit at this time.
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