A Federal High Court in Abuja has given the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) permission to issue a summons on Meta Platform, the social media behemoth that owns Facebook.
The decision was made in response to an appeal by ARCON in an ongoing N30 billion complaint against the social media behemoth for violating Nigeria’s advertising rules.
According to media sources, the writ would be served at Meta’s corporate offices in the United States, which also controls the social media networks Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.
The first defendant in the claim is Meta, while the second defendant is AT3 Resources Limited.
ARCON is requesting a determination that it is unlawful to publish different ads and marketing communications materials aimed towards Nigeria via Meta’s platforms without first being vetted and approved by the Advertising Standards Panel.
The regulatory authority also said that the legislation ignored Nigerian culture, constitutional fundamentals, moral values, and residents’ religious sensitivities.
As a result, ARCON is seeking a permanent injunction prohibiting the defendants, their privies, agents, servants, and associates from publishing any advertising or marketing communications materials without recourse to ARCON in accordance with the country’s advertising legislation.
It is also seeking N30 billion in penalties and punishments for continuing breaches of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria Act No. 23 of 2022.
