The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to launch an urgent investigation into allegations that tech giants—including Google, Meta (Facebook), Apple, Microsoft (Bing), X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, Amazon, and YouTube—are exploiting opaque algorithms and their market dominance to undermine Nigerian media, businesses, and citizens’ rights.
In a formal complaint submitted on 28 February 2026, SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare highlighted the growing influence of these companies over Nigeria’s digital economy and information ecosystem, noting that “millions of Nigerians rely on these platforms for news, information, and business opportunities.” The organization warned that without oversight, dominant platforms are effectively acting as private gatekeepers, threatening media plurality, consumer protection, privacy, and democratic integrity.
SERAP urged the FCCPC to convene a public hearing on the matter to examine allegations of algorithmic discrimination, data exploitation, and unfair market practices. The group cited investigations by the South African Competition Commission into Google, which revealed systematic bias against local media and led to mandated algorithmic transparency, compliance monitoring, and monetary redress, as a model for Nigeria.
The complaint emphasizes that opaque algorithms, offshore revenue extraction, and hidden data practices allow these tech companies to shape public discourse and market competition with little accountability. “The business models and algorithmic systems operated by these platforms are undermining the human rights of Nigerians and distorting Nigeria’s digital economy,” SERAP said.
Concerns include the large-scale collection, retention, and monetization of Nigerians’ personal data under complex and unclear consent mechanisms, which interfere with the right to privacy. Algorithmic suppression, revenue diversion to foreign platforms, and limited discoverability of local content reportedly threaten media freedom, access to information, and the sustainability of Nigerian journalism.
The Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO) has similarly raised alarms, noting that algorithms controlled outside Nigeria prioritize foreign content, monetizing local news without reinvesting in domestic media, ultimately creating a structural imbalance that threatens professional journalism. These practices have reportedly reduced advertising revenues, forced newsroom closures, and contributed to “news deserts” across the country.
SERAP warned that algorithmic opacity and data-driven micro-targeting could also influence voter exposure to information ahead of elections, further undermining democratic processes. The organization urged the FCCPC to take urgent steps to:
Launch a full investigation into the conduct of the tech companies;
Convene public hearings to collect evidence from journalists, media organizations, SMEs, content creators, civil society groups, and consumers;
Mandate transparency in algorithms governing content ranking, recommendations, and advertising;
Implement remedial measures, including compensation for harmed media organizations;
Prevent ongoing consumer harm and market distortions;
Apply sanctions where violations of competition, privacy, and media rights are confirmed;
Retain authority to request additional data and enforce compliance;
Ensure that Nigerian laws and international standards governing media freedom, consumer rights, and privacy are upheld.
SERAP stressed that the FCCPC has the statutory mandate to safeguard Nigerians’ rights to privacy, media freedom, fair competition, and democratic integrity—and that failure to act promptly could prompt legal action.
“The cumulative effect of these practices,” SERAP noted, “threatens competition, consumer protection, media diversity, and the integrity of Nigeria’s democracy. Immediate regulatory intervention is essential.”
