Tinubu Orders Probe into Google, Meta, X Over Content Use

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate major global technology companies, including Google, Meta, and X (formerly Twitter), for alleged anti-competitive practices and unlawful exploitation of content from Nigerian media organizations. This directive follows a joint petition submitted by the Nigerian Press Organization, which includes the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria, the Nigerian Union of Journalists, and the Nigeria Guild of Corporate Online Publishers.

The investigation aims to address concerns regarding the decline in revenue for Nigerian media organizations and the increasing dominance of these technology firms. FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Tunji Bello stated that the inquiry will be independent and transparent, focusing on whether the practices of these companies violate the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act of 2018.

The commission will examine allegations of unauthorized extraction and commercial use of copyrighted materials from journalists to develop artificial intelligence models.