BREAKING: Nigeria opens major probe into big tech, AI firms over media content allegations

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate major global technology companies and artificial intelligence platforms over allegations of anti-competitive practices and the unauthorised use of content belonging to Nigerian media organisations.

The directive was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by the FCCPC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu.

According to the Commission, the investigation follows a joint petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), comprising the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria and the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers.

Ijagwu said the Federal Government’s directive was communicated to the FCCPC through a letter signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.

The petition accuses major technology companies, including Meta, Alphabet, X and several generative AI platforms, of scraping and commercially using copyrighted news reports and broadcast materials without authorisation to train artificial intelligence models.

The media organisations also alleged market dominance and the failure of the technology firms to provide fair compensation to Nigerian publishers for the use of their content.

Commenting on the development, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Tunji Bello, said the Commission would conduct an impartial investigation to establish the facts.

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“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,” Bello said.

He stressed that the investigation should not be interpreted as a presumption of wrongdoing by any company.

“This inquiry is not directed at any entity by presumption of wrongdoing. Rather, it is an opportunity to carefully examine the facts, hear from all affected parties, and determine whether any conduct has resulted in anti-competitive outcomes or unfair business practices,” he added.

According to the FCCPC, the investigation will determine whether the alleged conduct violates the provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 or any other applicable Nigerian law.

The Commission noted that Nigeria’s action aligns with a growing global trend of holding major technology companies accountable for their use of news content.

It recalled that the FCCPC secured a landmark ruling against Meta in 2025 over violations of the FCCPA, including data privacy breaches, resulting in a $220 million fine that remains under appeal.

Similar regulatory actions have been taken in countries such as South Africa, Australia and Canada, where technology companies have entered compensation agreements with news publishers or faced legislation requiring payment for journalistic content.

The European Union has also introduced regulations that have resulted in licensing agreements and multi-billion-euro antitrust penalties against leading technology firms.

The latest directive signals Nigeria’s intention to strengthen oversight of digital platforms and ensure that innovation in artificial intelligence and digital technologies develops within a framework that protects competition, intellectual property rights and the sustainability of the country’s media industry.