The Lagos High Court, Ikeja, has ordered Meta Platforms Inc, the U.S.-based tech giant owned by Mark Zuckerberg, to pay $25,000 to prominent human rights lawyer Chief Femi Falana (SAN) over a privacy violation.
Peak Newspaper reports that the judgment follows Falana’s $5 million lawsuit alleging that Meta published false motion images and voice content suggesting he suffered from a medical condition known as prostatitis.
Delivering the judgment on Tuesday, Justice Olalekan Oresanya emphasised that global technology companies that host content for commercial gain owe a duty of care to individuals affected by material disseminated on their platforms.
Falana, through his lawyer Olumide Babalola, argued that the false content, captioned “AfriCare Health Centre,” tarnished his reputation, caused mental and emotional distress, and constituted an invasion of his privacy under Section 37 of the Nigerian Constitution. The suit also cited the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 and the Fundamental Rights Enforcement Procedure Rules 2009.
The court rejected Meta’s “intermediary” defence, noting that platforms cannot absolve themselves of responsibility when monetising content and when harm from misinformation is foreseeable. The court further ruled that Falana’s status as a public figure does not strip him of his right to privacy, particularly concerning sensitive health information.
Justice Oresanya found that Meta, by controlling content distribution and monetisation, acted as a joint data controller and was therefore vicariously liable for the offensive video. The court held that the company breached Section 24 of the Nigeria Data Protection Act by processing inaccurate, harmful, and unfair personal data without a lawful basis.
Babalola described the ruling as a significant affirmation of platform accountability under Nigerian law, noting that it weakens the “mere platform” defence often relied upon by global tech companies. He highlighted that health data, even for public figures, enjoys heightened protection and that platforms must deploy safeguards to prevent foreseeable harm from misinformation.
The court’s decision is seen as a landmark for privacy rights in Nigeria and aligns with emerging global standards on digital accountability.
