President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate major global technology companies specifically Meta, Alphabet (Google), X (formerly Twitter), and certain Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms for alleged anti-competitive practices and unlawful exploitation of Nigerian news content.LeadNaija News report.
The move follows a formal petition from the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), which represents key media bodies including the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), and Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP).
The FCCPC will determine whether these practices breach the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 or other relevant laws. The investigation will be independent, transparent, and evidence-based with all parties given a fair hearing. No presumptions of guilt have been made.
FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman, Mr. Tunji Bello, reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to fairness, stating that the inquiry aims to balance technological innovation with the protection of Nigeria’s media ecosystem and democracy.
This development mirrors similar actions in South Africa, where Google agreed to pay local news media approximately $40 million annually for several years following comparable complaints.
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