In line with its mandate to ensure ethical and responsible advertising on digital platforms, the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, ARCON has received approval from the Federal High Court, Abuja to serve the writ of summons and other court processes to Meta Head office in USA, in its N30B suit against the company for violations and infractions of the Nigerian advertising laws.

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This approval is sequel to an application by ARCON in a N30b suit against the internet giant, owners of Facebook, Instagram, messenger and WhatsApp social media apps.

It adds that while Meta is the 1st Defendant, the second Defendant is AT3 Resources Limited.

In addition to the N30B sanction slammed on the company for the incessant disregard of the advertising law, “the advertising regulator is seeking, among others, a declaration that the publication and exposure of various advertisements and marketing communications materials targeted at the Nigeria market and in Nigeria through the online/social media platforms of the 1st Defendant which include Facebook and Instagram by the Defendants without the prior vetting and approval by the Advertising Standards Panel (ASP), and having no regards for the Nigerian culture, constitutional tenets, moral values and religious sensitivity of the Nigerian people is illegal, unlawful and a violation of extant advertising laws in Nigeria”.

“It also seeks an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Defendants, their privies, agents, assigns, servants, workers, associates or however constituted or described from publishing or exposing any advertisement and marketing communications material targeted at the Nigeria market and in Nigeria through the online/social media platforms of the 1st Defendant without first submitting the proposed advertisement and marketing communication to the plaintiff for vetting and approval before exposure in line with the Nigerian Advertising Law”.

Recall that ARCON had hinted that as part of efforts to ensure strict adherence to the advertising law on social media platforms, it commenced talks with platform owners to facilitate easy enforcement of the law.

In the same vein, the regulatory agency also engaged with the secondary social media owners and influencers to acquaint them with the fundamentals of the new advertising laws especially on social media.