The Federal Government has instituted a legal action against Meta Platforms Incorporated, owners of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp platforms, for allegedly engaging in illegal advertisements within Nigeria’s advertising space.
Equally joined as a Defendant in the suit FG filed through the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, ARCON, at the Federal High Court in Abuja, is Meta’s agent, AT3 Resources Limited.
ARCON, which is a regulatory body for adverts within the country, is among other things, praying the court to declare 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 that same is vetted and approved before exposure, is illegal, unlawful and a violation of the extant advertising Law in Nigeria.
The body maintained that Meta Platforms Incorporated’s continued exposure of unvetted adverts to its users in Nigeria, had also led to great loss of revenue to FG.
Consequently, ARCON is, among other reliefs, seeking N30billion as damages against the Defendants for the violation of the advertising laws and for loss of revenue as a result of Meta Incorporated’s continued exposure of unapproved adverts on it’s platforms.
The Plaintiff said its action was to prevent unethical advert practices in the country.
