In a recent development, the Advertising Regulatory Council
of Nigeria (ARCON) has
been granted permission by the Federal High Court in
Abuja to serve a writ of summons on Meta Platforms, the social media giant and
owner of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg. This is in connection with a pending N30
billion lawsuit against the social media giant for violating Nigeria’s
advertising laws.
ARCON had applied for the writ of summons to be served on
Meta, which owns several social media platforms, including Instagram,
Messenger, and WhatsApp, at its United States corporate headquarters. Meta is
the first defendant in the lawsuit, with AT3 Resources Limited being the
second.
ARCON is seeking a declaration from the court that the
publication of various advertisements and marketing communication materials on
Meta’s platforms, targeted at Nigeria, without prior vetting and approval by
the Advertising Standards Panel, is illegal. According to ARCON, this act
disregards Nigerian culture, constitutional tenets, moral values, and religious
sensitivity of citizens.
ARCON is, therefore, seeking an order of perpetual injunction
to restrain the defendants, their privies, agents, servants, and associates
from publishing any advertising or marketing communications materials without
seeking approval from ARCON in line with Nigeria’s advertising laws. The
regulatory body is also seeking N30 billion in fines and sanctions for Meta’s
continued violations and infractions of the Advertising Regulatory Council of
Nigeria Act No. 23 of 2022.
The court’s decision to grant ARCON permission to serve the
writ of summons on Meta is a significant development in the ongoing legal
battle between ARCON and the social media giant. It remains to be seen how Meta
will respond to the lawsuit and whether it will comply with Nigeria’s
advertising laws going forward.
