The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the N30 billion lawsuit against Meta Platforms Incorporated (the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) and its agent, AT3 Resources Limited. This lawsuit was brought by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON).
The case, identified by suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1701/2022, was dismissed by Justice Peter Lifu following a notice of discontinuance submitted by Barrister Micheal Okorie, representing the plaintiff.
ARCON had initiated legal proceedings against Meta Platforms Incorporated and AT3 Resources Limited in the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division.
The regulatory body sought a court declaration that Meta’s practice of publishing advertisements targeting the Nigerian market on Facebook and Instagram without prior vetting and approval was illegal and in violation of Nigeria’s current advertising laws.
In its lawsuit, ARCON alleged that Meta’s continuous display of unapproved advertisements had resulted in financial losses for the Nigerian Federal Government. As a result, ARCON sought penalties against Meta and its agent AT3 for allegedly breaching advertising regulations.
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A statement from ARCON emphasized the council’s commitment to preventing unethical and irresponsible advertising in Nigeria.
The Director-General of ARCON, Olalekan Fadolapo, explained that legal action was taken after numerous attempts to engage Meta in discussions about establishing a regulatory framework for online advertising had failed. Fadolapo detailed the efforts made by ARCON to reach an agreement with Meta.
“ARCON wrote to some online platform owners, requesting a meeting to agree on the regulatory framework and protocol for advertising on online platforms.”
Meta neither acknowledged nor attended the meeting. After a follow-up call, we received a promise that they would revert formally, which never happened,” he said.
However, during the resumed court proceedings, Barrister Okorie informed Justice Lifu that a notice of discontinuance had been filed.
The notice stated, “Take notice that the claimant hereby discontinues this suit against the defendants.” Consequently, Justice Lifu struck out the case in accordance with ARCON’s request.
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Meta, formerly known as Facebook Inc., is a multinational social technology company that owns and operates Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and other products.
The dismissal of this case marks a significant development in the ongoing dialogue between regulatory bodies and global tech companies regarding the enforcement of local advertising laws.