The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has been granted permission by a federal high court in Abuja to serve Meta Platforms, the owners of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, with a writ of summons.
This is in relation to ARCON’s N30 billion lawsuit against the company for displaying unapproved advertisements to Nigerian audiences. The court order permits the writ to be served at Meta’s corporate headquarters in the United States. ARCON filed the suit against Meta and its agent, AT3 Resources Limited, in October 2022.
The regulatory body is seeking a declaration that the continued publication of unapproved advertisements on Facebook and Instagram is illegal and violates advertising laws in Nigeria.
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ARCON is also seeking an order of perpetual injunction against the defendants, their privies, agents, servants, and associates from publishing any advertising or marketing communications materials without seeking approval from ARCON in line with Nigeria’s advertising laws.
Additionally, ARCON is seeking a N30 billion sanction for the continued violation of Nigeria’s advertising laws and the loss of revenue it has caused. The exposure of unvetted adverts, according to the agency, has led to a loss of revenue to the federal government.
