Nigeria regulator seeks $70-million penalty in lawsuit against Meta

A Nigerian advertising regulator has sued Meta, accusing the owner of Facebook and WhatsApp of publishing unauthorized ads and seeking a 30 billion naira ($70 million) fine.

The lawsuit filed in a local court by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, or ARCON, is the regulator’s latest action that analysts say could hurt businesses highly dependent on digital ads for their growth.

Nigerian advertising laws require the regulator to approve ads based on certain criteria with the involvement of an advertising practitioner in Africa’s largest economy.

Before you put out anything, it should be vetted and approved by ARCON first before exposure,” the agency said Tuesday. Anything that has not been vetted and approved by ARCON is a violation of our law.