The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) “to urgently investigate allegations that Google, Meta (Facebook), Apple, Microsoft (Bing), X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, Amazon, and YouTube are using opaque algorithms and market dominance to undermine Nigerian media, businesses, and citizens’ rights.”
SERAP urged the FCCPC “to take measures necessary to urgently prevent further unfair market practices, algorithmic influence, consumer harm and abuses of media freedom, freedom of expression, privacy, and access to information and ensure compliance with Nigerian laws and international standards.”
SERAP also urged the FCCPC “to convene a public hearing into the allegations of algorithmic discrimination, market dominance, data exploitation, and consumer harm involving Google, Meta, Apple, Microsoft (Bing), X, TikTok, Amazon and YouTube.”
In a complaint dated 28 February 2026 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said, “Big technology companies operate with enormous influence over Nigeria’s digital economy and information ecosystem, yet they often escape accountability for the harms they cause.”
SERAP said, “Opaque algorithms, offshore revenue extraction, and hidden data practices allow these platforms to shape public discourse and market competition without transparency or meaningful oversight.”
The complaint addressed to the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Mr. Tunji Bello, read in part: “Millions of Nigerians rely on these platforms for news, information, and business opportunities.”
“Dominant digital platforms are acting as private gatekeepers of Nigeria’s information and business ecosystem. Their opaque algorithms and market dominance are not just economic issues—they are human rights issues that threaten media plurality, consumer protection, and privacy, and the integrity of Nigeria’s democracy.”
“The FCCPC ought to exercise its statutory mandate to ensure Nigerians’ rights to privacy, media freedom, fair competition, and democratic integrity. Should the FCCPC fail to act promptly, SERAP will consider all appropriate legal actions to compel regulatory intervention in the public interest.”
“Investigations by the South African Competition Commission into Google revealed systematic bias against local media content, leading to remedies including algorithmic transparency, compliance monitoring, and monetary redress.”
“The FCCPC should take similar action to protect Nigerian media, businesses, and citizens’ rights. SERAP is available to provide evidence, expert analysis, and recommendations to assist the Commission’s inquiry.”
“The business models and algorithmic systems operated by Google, Meta (Facebook), Apple, Microsoft (Bing), X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, Amazon and YouTube are allegedly undermining the human rights of Nigerians and distorting Nigeria’s digital economy.”
“Large-scale collection, retention, and monetisation of Nigerians’ personal and behavioural data — often under complex and unclear consent mechanisms are reportedly interfering with the right to privacy.”
“In light of the potential impact on privacy rights, media freedom, business sustainability, and the integrity of Nigeria’s forthcoming elections, the FCCPC ought to treat this matter with urgency and to provide a clear timeline for investigative steps, including stakeholder consultations and public engagement.”
“The allegations against the big tech companies if established would amount to grave violations of the provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) particularly Sections 17(e) and 18 the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended and international human rights standards.”
“The allegations would also constitute discriminatory treatment and abuse of market dominance contrary to Sections 17 and 18 of the FCCPA.”
“The FCCPC has jurisdiction under Sections 17(b)(e) and 18 of the FCCPA to investigate, monitor, and enforce compliance against conduct that substantially prevents, restricts, or distorts competition in Nigeria.”
“We note that the Federal High Court has upheld the FCCPC’s investigations into telecom pricing and competition conduct, thus stressing the Commission’s mandate under sections 17 and 18 of the FCCPA.”
“SERAP is concerned that Nigerian media companies and Nigerian content creators continue to face algorithmic suppression, revenue diversion to foreign platforms, and limited discoverability, effectively resulting in abuses of freedom of expression, access to information and media freedom in Nigeria.”
“Promptly initiating the investigations would ensure a fair, competitive digital media ecosystem as well as effective protection of consumers’ rights, freedom of expression, access to information and media freedom in Nigeria.”
“These allegations seriously undermine the purposes of the FCCPCA, media diversity and plurality as well as the rights of Nigerians under the Nigerian Constitution, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.”
“Convening a public hearing would not only strengthen the evidentiary basis of the FCCPC’s inquiry but would also promote public trust, democratic accountability, and regulatory transparency in matters affecting millions of Nigerians.”
“A public hearing would allow affected Nigerians to provide firsthand testimony, documentary evidence, data analytics, and expert opinions that would assist the FCCPC in determining whether the alleged practices substantially prevent or distort competition, harm consumers, or undermine constitutional rights.”
“According to our information, the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), recently raised concerns about the control of the information ecosystem by these big tech companies, and how this has ‘fundamentally altered Nigeria’s information environment.’”
“The NPO also alleged that the activities of the tech companies have ‘created a structural imbalance of power that now threatens the sustainability of professional journalism – the backbone of informed citizenship and accountable governance.’”
“The NPO alleged that a) algorithms controlled outside Nigeria determine what Nigerians see, amplify, or ignore; b) Nigerian news content is monetised at scale without proportionate reinvestment in local journalism; and c) revenue that once sustained domestic newsrooms is increasingly extracted offshore.”
“There are allegations that big tech companies have engaged in conduct that prioritizes foreign content over Nigerian media in search results and news feeds, limits discoverability of Nigerian websites, news platforms, and social media pages, and fails to provide transparency regarding ranking and recommendation algorithms.”
“Big tech companies’ activities also allegedly continue to cause demonstrable harm to the commercial and reputational interests of Nigerian media companies, resulting in reduced advertising revenues for local media and restrict consumer choice.”
“By controlling algorithms, advertising platforms, and distribution channels, these companies influence both market competition and consumer choice in Nigeria, warranting intervention by the FCCPC.”
“The decline in revenues for Nigerian media organizations has seen newsrooms shrink, bureaus shut and a number of print titles close, creating news deserts and negatively impacting the ability of the news media to fulfil its societal and constitutional role.”
“Media freedom is guaranteed under sections 22 and 39 of the Nigerian Constitution and article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.”
“The media is thus fundamental to Nigeria’s democracy, serving as both a catalyst for civic engagement and a mechanism for holding power to account.”
“Algorithmic opacity and data-driven micro-targeting would affect the fairness of Nigeria’s forthcoming elections by influencing voter exposure to information without adequate transparency safeguards.”
“SERAP notes that the cumulative effect of these practices — including data concentration, opaque content moderation, discriminatory algorithmic ranking, and market dominance — would substantially prevent or distort competition, harm consumers, and weaken Nigeria’s democraticp institutions.”
SERAP therefore urged the FCCPC to exercise its powers and authority by:
Initiating a full investigation into the Respondents’ alleged conduct outlined above;
Convening a public hearing to gather evidence from affected Nigerians, including journalists, media organisations, SMEs, content creators, civil society groups, and individual consumers;
Mandating transparency and equitable treatment of Nigerian content, including disclosure of ranking, recommendation, and advertising algorithms, with quarterly and biannual compliance reporting;
Ensuring remedial measures for harmed media organisations, including the establishment of a compensation fund;
Taking urgent steps to prevent ongoing consumer harm, market distortion, and violations of privacy and freedom of expression;
Summoning persons and requiring production of documents, and applying sanctions against the Respondents as necessary and where competition or consumer and rights protection violations are found;
Ensuring that the FCCPC retains authority to request additional data as necessary; and
Granting any additional relief(s) the Commission considers necessary to prevent unfair market practices and ensure compliance with Nigerian competition law
