Tinubu Orders FCCPC To Probe Meta, Google, 𝕏 , AI Firms Over Copyright, Competition Concerns

‎President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate major global technology companies and Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) platforms over allegations of anti-competitive practices and the unauthorised use of content belonging to Nigerian media organisations.

‎Naija News reports that the directive followed a joint petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation, an umbrella body comprising the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) and the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GCOP).

‎The Federal Government’s directive was conveyed to the FCCPC in a letter signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.

‎According to a statement announcing the development, the investigation will examine concerns raised by the Nigerian media industry over the growing influence of digital platforms on the sustainability of the country’s news ecosystem.

‎The petition named global technology companies, including Meta, Alphabet and  𝕏, formerly Twitter, as well as certain Generative AI platforms operating in Nigeria, accusing them of practices capable of undermining fair competition, the commercial viability of Nigerian media organisations and the rights of content creators and publishers.

‎Reacting to the directive, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Tunji Bello, assured stakeholders that the commission would conduct an independent, transparent and evidence-based investigation.

‎”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 investigation should not be seen as an indication that any organisation had been found guilty of wrongdoing.

‎”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 be accorded a fair opportunity to present relevant information before any conclusions are reached,” he added.

‎The commission said the inquiry would determine whether the alleged practices violate the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 or any other applicable law.

‎Among the key issues to be examined are allegations of market dominance and anti-competitive conduct, as well as the unauthorised extraction, scraping, ingestion or commercial use of copyrighted news articles, broadcast materials and other original journalistic content for the development and training of Generative AI models.

‎The FCCPC will also investigate claims that global technology companies have failed to establish equitable commercial arrangements with Nigerian news publishers.

‎According to the commission, the probe will examine allegations that local media organisations have been denied meaningful opportunities to negotiate fair compensation for the use of their content.

‎The FCCPC noted that it had previously investigated Meta and secured what it described as a landmark judgment against the company in 2025 over violations of the FCCPC Act, including data privacy breaches.

‎The commission said the court imposed a $220m fine on the technology company, although Meta has appealed the decision.

‎It also pointed to developments in South Africa, where concerns raised by media organisations prompted an investigation by the South African Competition Commission (SACC).

‎Following the probe, Google agreed to compensate South African news organisations with R688m (about $40m) annually for a period of between three and five years, according to the statement.