Tinubu Orders Investigation into Google, Meta, X, AI Platforms Over Nigerian News Content
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 unauthorised use of content belonging to Nigerian media organisations.
The directive followed a petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), which comprises the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), and the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP).
In a statement issued by the FCCPC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, the commission said the investigation would examine allegations against global technology firms, including Google, Meta and X, as well as certain Generative AI platforms operating in Nigeria.
According to the commission, the probe will focus on claims of anti-competitive conduct, unlawful exploitation of news content, abuse of market dominance, and other practices that may threaten the sustainability of Nigeria’s media industry.
The FCCPC also said it would investigate allegations that some AI platforms unlawfully extract, scrape and use copyrighted news articles, broadcast materials and other original journalistic content to develop and train artificial intelligence models without the consent of publishers.
Another key area of investigation is the claim by Nigerian media organisations that they have been denied fair opportunities to negotiate compensation for the commercial use of their content by digital platforms.
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Tunji Bello, said the commission would conduct a transparent, impartial and evidence-based investigation, stressing that the exercise should not be interpreted as a presumption of wrongdoing against any company.
He explained that all parties involved would be given the opportunity to present their positions before any conclusions are reached.
The commission noted that the investigation would determine whether the alleged practices violate the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 or any other applicable Nigerian law.
The development comes amid increasing global scrutiny of the relationship between technology companies and news publishers, with several countries introducing regulations requiring digital platforms to compensate media organisations for the use of their content.
The FCCPC added that the outcome of the investigation could significantly influence the future of digital regulation and the sustainability of journalism in Nigeria.
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