Politics
Tinubu orders probe of Meta, Google, X, AI platforms
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate major global technology companies and Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms over allegations of anti-competitive practices and the unlawful use of content produced by Nigerian media organisations.
Announcing the development in a statement on Monday, July 6, the FCCPC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, said the directive followed a petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO) alleging unfair business practices by some of the world’s biggest digital platforms.
According to the commission, the petition named companies including Meta, Alphabet, the parent company of Google, X (formerly Twitter), and several Generative AI platforms operating in Nigeria.
It noted that the directive was conveyed to the commission through the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
“Big technology companies have come under the radar of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission following allegations of anti-competitive practices, unlawful exploitation of news content, and other potentially unfair market conduct.
“Also to be investigated are Generative Artificial Intelligence platforms operating in Nigeria. This is in sequel to a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR to FCCPC to look into a joint petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation.”
The FCCPC said the media organisations accused the companies of engaging in practices capable of undermining fair competition.
It said the companies threatened the commercial viability of Nigerian media organisations and violated the rights of content creators and publishers.
“The investigation promises to open a new vista in Nigeria’s media history. In recent years, concerns have been raised by the Nigerian media industry over the growing impact of certain digital platforms on the sustainability of the country’s news ecosystem.
The statement also quoted the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Tunji Bello, as saying the commission would carry out an independent, transparent and evidence-based investigation to determine whether the allegations have merit.
““We recognise the strategic importance of the media to Nigeria’s democracy and the equally significant role of technology in driving innovation and economic growth. Our responsibility is to objectively determine the facts and ensure that competition within the digital ecosystem remains fair, transparent, and consistent with Nigerian law,” Bello said.
He stressed that the investigation would not presume wrongdoing by any company, adding that all affected parties would be given the opportunity to present relevant information before any conclusions are reached.
According to the FCCPC, investigators will examine allegations of market dominance and anti-competitive conduct, as well as claims that copyrighted news articles, broadcast materials and other original journalistic works have been extracted, scraped, ingested and commercially utilised to develop and train Generative AI models without the consent of publishers.
The commission will also investigate complaints by Nigerian media organisations that they have been denied meaningful opportunities to negotiate fair compensation and appropriate commercial arrangements for the use of their journalistic content.
It said the inquiry would determine whether the alleged practices violate the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018, or any other applicable Nigerian law.
The investigation comes at a time when governments and media organisations around the world are intensifying scrutiny of the relationship between technology companies and news publishers.
As search engines, social media platforms and AI tools increasingly distribute and generate responses using news content. Publishers have argued that technology firms benefit commercially from journalism without adequately compensating those who produce it.
The emergence of Generative AI has further heightened those concerns. Several global media organisations have accused AI developers of using copyrighted news articles and other editorial content to train large language models without permission or payment, prompting lawsuits and calls for stronger copyright protections and licensing frameworks.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M