In an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, the Director-General of ARCON, Mr. Olalekan Fadolapo, disclosed the imminent legal proceedings.
The suit filed by ARCON encapsulates multifaceted demands, including a declaration of the illegality, unlawfulness, and violation of extant advertising laws in Nigeria pertaining to the unvetted publication and dissemination of advertisements directly targeting the Nigerian market via Facebook and Instagram platforms by Meta Platforms Incorporated.
ARCON contends that Meta Platforms Incorporated's persistent exhibition of unvetted advertisements has precipitated a tangible loss of revenue for the Federal Government.
Fadolapo expounded on the legal trajectory of the case, affirming that the Federal High Court in Abuja has indeed granted ARCON the privilege to serve a writ of summons to Meta, an act executed at the company's corporate headquarters situated in the United States.
Fadolapo emphasized that their concern extends beyond the company's office location, focusing instead on the scope of business operations conducted within Nigeria. He asserted, "The case is scheduled for October due to the myriad of irregularities plaguing the platform (Facebook). Rest assured, we will employ every legal avenue to rectify this environment."
He further expounded, "Our contention is that the content disseminated to the Nigerian audience, within our territorial jurisdiction, is indecent. Our intent is not to regulate media activities in the United States; rather, our objective is to regulate the media landscape here in Nigeria. While they may assert the absence of a physical office in Nigeria, their active engagement in Nigerian business activities subjects them to compliance with Nigerian laws. If you are conducting business operations in Nigeria, adherence to Nigerian laws is the requisite expectation."
