President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate Google, Meta, X and several generative AI platforms over allegations of anti-competitive practices and the unauthorised use of content produced by Nigerian media organisations.
The directive followed a petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), which represents the Newspaper Proprietors' Association of Nigeria (NPAN), the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Broadcastinggg Organisations of Nigeria (BON) and the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP).
According to a statement issued on Monday by FCCPC Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, the investigation will examine whether the companies have violated Nigeria's competition and consumer protection laws through the way they use and monetise news content.
The commission will also investigate allegations that some generative AI platforms have extracted, scraped and used copyrighted news articles, broadcast materials and other journalistic content to develop and train AI models without authorisation or compensation.
FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Tunji Bello, said the investigation would be independent, transparent and evidence-based.
He stressed that the inquiry does not assume wrongdoing by any company but aims to establish the facts and determine whether any conduct amounts to anti-competitive behaviour or unfair business practices under Nigerian law.
Among the issues under review are claims that Nigerian publishers have been denied fair opportunities to negotiate compensation agreements for the commercial use of their content by global technology companies.
The commission will assess whether the alleged practices breach the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 or any other applicable legislation.
The investigation comes amid growing global scrutiny of how major technology companies and AI developers use news content. Several countries have introduced measures requiring digital platforms to negotiate payment agreements with publishers.
In South Africa, for example, Google agreed to pay local news organisations R688 million annually for between three and five years following an investigation by the South African Competition Commission.
The latest probe also follows the FCCPC's ongoing legal dispute with Meta. Last year, the commission imposed a $220 million penalty on the company over alleged violations of Nigeria's competition and consumer protection laws, including data privacy issues. Meta has appealed the decision.
The outcome of the investigation could shape future regulation of digital platforms and AI companies in Nigeria, while also influencing how local media organisations are compensated for the use of their journalism.
