President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate major global technology companies and Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms over allegations of Nigeria Content Exploitation, anti-competitive practices and the unlawful use of content belonging to Nigerian media organisations without compensation.
Key Highlights
- President Tinubu orders FCCPC to investigate alleged Nigeria Content Exploitation.
- Probe targets Meta, Google, X and Generative AI platforms operating in Nigeria.
- Investigation follows a joint petition by Nigerian media organisations.
- FCCPC to examine alleged anti-competitive practices and copyright violations.
- Probe will assess whether tech firms breached Nigeria’s competition and consumer protection laws.
- Investigation could reshape Nigeria’s digital media and AI regulatory landscape.
The directive followed a joint petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), 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 directive, conveyed through the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, is expected to open a new chapter in the relationship between global digital platforms and Nigeria’s media industry, which has repeatedly complained about declining revenues and the widespread use of its journalistic content without fair compensation.
In a statement issued on Monday, the FCCPC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, said the investigation would focus on allegations against Meta, Alphabet (Google), X (formerly Twitter) and several Generative AI platforms operating within Nigeria.
According to the statement, the commission will investigate allegations of anti-competitive practices, unlawful exploitation of news content and other forms of unfair market conduct.
“Big technology companies have come under the radar of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission following allegations of anti-competitive practices, unlawful exploitation of news content and other potentially unfair market conduct,” the statement said.
It added that the investigation follows President Tinubu’s directive after receiving the petition from the Nigerian Press Organisation.
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The media bodies alleged that the activities of the technology firms are undermining fair competition, threatening the commercial sustainability of Nigerian media organisations and violating the rights of content creators and publishers.
According to the FCCPC, the inquiry will examine allegations that global technology companies have engaged in the unauthorised extraction, scraping, ingestion and commercial use of copyrighted news articles, broadcast materials and other original journalistic works to develop and train Generative Artificial Intelligence models.
The commission will also investigate claims that Nigerian publishers have been denied meaningful opportunities to negotiate fair compensation and commercial agreements for the use of their content.
FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Tunji Bello, assured stakeholders that the investigation would be transparent, independent and evidence-based.
“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 inquiry should not be interpreted as a presumption of wrongdoing by 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 have a fair opportunity to present relevant information before any conclusions are reached,” he added.
The FCCPC said investigators would determine whether the practices complained of constitute violations of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018, or any other applicable legislation governing competition, consumer rights and intellectual property.
The investigation comes amid growing global scrutiny of the relationship between technology companies and media organisations, particularly over the use and monetisation of news content.
Several countries have introduced laws requiring digital platforms to negotiate compensation agreements with publishers. In South Africa, for instance, sustained regulatory pressure led to an agreement under which Google committed to paying local news publishers R688 million (about $40 million) annually for between three and five years.
The Nigerian investigation also follows the FCCPC’s landmark enforcement action against Meta last year, when the commission imposed a $220 million penalty over alleged violations of Nigeria’s competition and consumer protection laws, including data privacy breaches. The company has appealed the decision.
Observers say the latest probe could have far-reaching implications for journalism, digital competition, artificial intelligence regulation and the future relationship between global technology companies and Nigeria’s media industry.
