Tinubu orders probe of Meta, Google, X, AI platforms

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 anti-competitive practices and the unauthorised use of content belonging to Nigerian media organisations.

The directive followed a joint petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), an umbrella body 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 Federal Government conveyed the President’s directive to the FCCPC through the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.

According to the government, the investigation will examine claims that some technology firms have undermined the commercial viability of Nigerian news organisations through alleged anti-competitive practices and the commercial use of journalistic content without fair compensation.

Companies expected to come under scrutiny include Meta, Alphabet, X (formerly Twitter), as well as several Generative AI platforms operating in Nigeria.

The FCCPC said it would determine whether the alleged conduct violates the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 or any other applicable law.

Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Tunji Bello, said the inquiry would be conducted independently, transparently and based strictly on evidence.

He stressed that the investigation should not be interpreted as a presumption of wrongdoing against any company, noting that all parties would be given the opportunity to present their positions before any conclusions are reached.

Bello said the commission’s responsibility is to establish whether the activities of the affected companies have resulted in anti-competitive outcomes or unfair business practices within Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.

Among the issues to be examined are allegations of market dominance, the unauthorised scraping and commercial use of copyrighted news articles and broadcast materials to train Generative AI models, and the absence of fair commercial arrangements between global technology companies and Nigerian media organisations.

The investigation will also assess claims that local publishers have been denied meaningful opportunities to negotiate compensation for the use of their journalistic content.

The latest probe comes after the FCCPC secured a landmark judgment against Meta in 2025 over alleged violations of the FCCPA, including data privacy breaches, resulting in a $220 million fine. Meta has appealed the decision.

The Federal Government also pointed to developments in South Africa, where following a competition investigation, Google agreed to compensate news publishers with R688 million (about $40 million) annually for between three and five years under a negotiated settlement.

The outcome of the Nigerian investigation could shape future relations between global technology companies and the country’s media industry, particularly in the areas of digital competition, copyright protection and revenue sharing.