Tinubu orders probe of Google, Meta, X, AI platforms over alleged exploitation of Nigerian news content

Tinubu orders probe of Google, Meta, X, AI platforms over alleged exploitation of Nigerian news content

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate Google, Meta, X (formerly Twitter) and several Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms over allegations of anti-competitive practices and the unlawful exploitation of content produced by Nigerian media organisations.

The directive followed a joint petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO)—the umbrella body representing 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 petition accuses major global technology companies and AI platforms of using news content created by Nigerian publishers without fair compensation, a practice media stakeholders say threatens the financial sustainability of journalism and undermines the country’s news ecosystem.

The directive was conveyed to the FCCPC through the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, signalling what could become one of Nigeria’s most significant regulatory actions involving global technology companies and artificial intelligence platforms.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Director of Corporate Affairs at the FCCPC, Ondaje Ijagwu, confirmed that the investigation would examine allegations against Meta, Alphabet, the parent company of Google, X, formerly known as Twitter, and selected Generative AI platforms operating within Nigeria.

According to the commission, the probe will focus on claims of anti-competitive conduct, unfair market practices, unlawful exploitation of news content and other activities that may violate Nigeria’s competition and consumer protection laws.

“Big technology companies have come under the radar of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission following allegations of anti-competitive practices, unlawful exploitation of news content, and other potentially unfair market conduct,” the commission stated.

It added that the investigation followed President Tinubu’s directive after the Presidency received the petition from the Nigerian Press Organisation.

The FCCPC said Nigerian media organisations have expressed growing concern that some digital platforms have built highly profitable businesses by distributing, aggregating and monetising journalistic content without entering into meaningful commercial agreements with the publishers responsible for producing that content.

According to the commission, the investigation will also examine allegations that some Generative AI platforms have unlawfully extracted, scraped, ingested and commercially utilised copyrighted news articles, broadcast materials, photographs and other original journalistic works to train artificial intelligence models without the consent of publishers.

Another key issue before the commission is whether Nigerian publishers have been denied fair opportunities to negotiate licensing agreements and appropriate compensation for the commercial use of their intellectual property.

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Tunji Bello, assured all parties that the inquiry would be transparent, evidence-based and conducted in accordance with the law.

“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 interpreted as a finding of wrongdoing against any company.

According to him, every organisation involved will have the opportunity to present evidence before the commission reaches any conclusions.

“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.”

The commission said the investigation will determine whether the practices complained of violate the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018, or any other applicable Nigerian law.

Among the issues under review are allegations of market dominance, anti-competitive behaviour and the commercial exploitation of copyrighted journalistic content without authorisation or compensation.

The investigation comes at a time when governments around the world are increasingly scrutinising the relationship between digital platforms and news publishers.

Countries including Australia, Canada, France and South Africa have introduced or strengthened regulatory measures requiring technology companies to negotiate compensation agreements with media organisations whose content drives user engagement on their platforms.

In South Africa, negotiations facilitated by the country’s Competition Commission resulted in Google agreeing to provide approximately R688 million (about $40 million) annually for between three and five years to support local news publishers.

Nigeria’s investigation is expected to examine whether similar concerns exist within the country’s digital media market and whether regulatory intervention is necessary to promote fair competition and protect the long-term sustainability of journalism.

The latest probe also follows the FCCPC’s earlier enforcement action against Meta, which resulted in a $220 million administrative penalty over alleged violations of Nigeria’s competition and consumer protection laws, including issues relating to consumer rights and data privacy. The company has appealed the decision.

Industry observers believe the outcome of the investigation could reshape the relationship between global technology companies, artificial intelligence developers and Nigerian media organisations by establishing clearer rules on content licensing, digital competition and fair compensation for publishers.

If the allegations are substantiated, the findings could influence future regulation of digital platforms, AI-generated content and the broader digital economy, while reinforcing the protection of intellectual property rights within Nigeria’s media industry.

 

Tinubu orders probe of Google, Meta, X, AI platforms over alleged exploitation of Nigerian news content