In a decisive move, President Bola Tinubu has instructed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to launch an investigation into several prominent global technology companies and Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms. This action comes amid serious allegations surrounding anti-competitive behavior and the unauthorized use of content from Nigerian media organizations.
The inquiry will focus on major players in the tech industry, including Meta, Alphabet, and X (formerly known as Twitter), alongside various Generative AI services operating within Nigeria. Recent claims suggest these companies may have engaged in practices that undermine competition and have exploited Nigerian media content without proper authorization. Specifically, there are concerns that these firms delayed fair compensation to publishers while using copyrighted news material to fuel their AI models.
The FCCPC has emphasized that the investigation will be grounded in concrete evidence, striving to uncover any breaches of Nigerian competition or consumer protection laws during the process.
