$32.8m fine: Meta, Nigeria opt for out of court settlement
Meta Platforms Inc., parent company of Facebook and Instagram says it has “reached an advanced stage of settlement” over the $32.8 million fine imposed on it by Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) in February.
The $32.8 million fine was imposed on the tech giant for alleged data privacy violations involving Nigerian users.
Meta had gone to court to stop the fine, but Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja refused its application, fixing October 3, for ruling on the case.
However, when the case came up on Friday, Meta’s lawyer, Fred Onwuobia, SAN, urged the court to defer the ruling, saying both parties to the case have agreed to settle out of court and have already “reached an advanced stage of settlement”.
“The draft terms of settlement have been exchanged,” he said, urging the court to grant an adjournment for a report of settlement.
NDPC’s lawyer, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, confirmed Meta’s position and said that the “settlement discussions have advanced appreciably,” urging the court to adjourn so they could return with settlement terms for adoption as a “consent judgement.”
The Judge agreed to the request of both parties and adjourned till October 31, for either a ruling or adoption of the settlement terms.
