Nigerian media organisations applaud Tinubu’s directive to probe Big Tech, AI platforms

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The Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO) has commended President Bola Tinubu for directing the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate major global technology companies and Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms over allegations of content exploitation and anti-competitive practices.

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The umbrella body, which represents key media stakeholders in the country, described the directive as a significant step towards protecting the sustainability of Nigeria’s media industry and ensuring that global technology firms are held accountable for their business practices.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that President Tinubu directed the FCCPC to investigate companies including Meta, Alphabet (Google’s parent company), X (formerly Twitter) and several Generative AI platforms following a petition alleging anti-competitive conduct, the unauthorised use of copyrighted journalistic content and unfair commercial practices against Nigerian media organisations.

The FCCPC said the inquiry would determine whether the companies breached the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 or any other applicable law.

Media welcomes investigation

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the NPO said the government’s decision followed a joint petition submitted by its member organisations.

The coalition comprises the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) and the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP).

According to the organisation, concerns over the activities of global technology companies were formally presented to President Tinubu during a meeting in March.

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It said the delegation drew the President’s attention to what it described as the growing threat posed by dominant digital platforms to the survival of Nigeria’s media industry.

“We are pleased that the government has commenced this investigation. Beyond the clear and present danger posed by Big Tech’s anti-competitive behaviour, their lack of transparency and accountability also carries very serious consequences for journalism as a public-interest good,” the organisation said.

Concern over content exploitation

The NPO argued that for years, major technology companies have weakened the commercial viability of Nigerian media organisations by using original journalistic content without fair compensation.

READ ALSO: Tinubu directs FCCPC to investigate Meta, Google, X, AI platforms over media complaints

It specifically named Meta, Alphabet, X and several Generative AI companies, alleging that their business practices have undermined fair competition in Nigeria’s digital media ecosystem.

According to the organisation, the investigation represents an important milestone in efforts to ensure greater accountability from global technology companies, particularly as similar regulatory actions have been taken in countries such as South Africa.

The body also welcomed the FCCPC’s assurance that the investigation would be conducted independently, transparently and based on available evidence.

It pledged to cooperate fully with the commission by providing relevant information to support the inquiry.