Court to hear FG’s N30bn suit against Facebook in October

The Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division, will in October hear the N30bn suit lodged by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria against Meta Platforms Incorporated (owners of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp platforms) and its agent AT3 Resources Limited.

The Director-General of ARCON, Olalekan Fadolapo, made the disclosure during an exclusive interview with The PUNCH.

ARCON is seeking a declaration among others that the continued publication and exposure of various advertisements directed at the Nigerian market through Facebook and Instagram platforms by Meta Platforms Incorporated, without ensuring the same is vetted and approved before exposure is illegal, unlawful and a violation of the extant advertising Law in Nigeria.

According to the apex regulatory body for advertising in the country, Meta Platforms Incorporated’s continued exposure of unvetted adverts had led to a loss of revenue to the Federal Government.

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Fadolapo, while speaking with The PUNCH, confirmed that the Federal High Court in Abuja had granted ARCON a leave to serve a writ of summons to Meta. The writ was served at the company’s United States corporate headquarters.

He said the decision to serve the company at its corporate headquarters became necessary after Meta claimed that it did not have any physical office in Nigeria.

He said, “The case is coming up this October, because the level of shenanigans that is happening in that place (Facebook) is too much. But trust me, we will use all legal means to sanitise that space.

“What we are saying is that what they are showing to the Nigerian audience, which is our territorial space is indecent. We will not go and regulate the media in the US, but what we will do is regulate the media space here in Nigeria.

“They said they don’t have an office in Nigeria, but they are doing business in Nigeria. So, we are not concerned about their office, we are concerned about the business they are doing in Nigeria. If you are doing business in Nigeria, you are supposed to abide by Nigerian laws.”