The legal dispute between Meta Platforms, Inc. and human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has moved to the Court of Appeal in Lagos following a judgment awarding damages over a disputed Facebook video.
Meta Platforms is challenging a High Court ruling that ordered it to pay $25,000 in damages over an alleged breach of privacy linked to content posted on its platform.
Falana had filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit after a video uploaded by a third-party Facebook user allegedly portrayed him in a false and damaging manner.
The Lagos State High Court, sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square, had ruled in his favour, holding that Meta breached provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Act.
The court also rejected Meta’s claim that it was merely an intermediary, stating that platform operators owe a duty of care over content hosted on their services.
Meta, however, insists the ruling was flawed and has asked the Court of Appeal to overturn the decision.
In its appeal, the company argues that it only provides hosting services and is not responsible for user-generated content published by third parties.
It also claims the trial court misinterpreted key provisions of Nigerian law and wrongly classified the matter as a fundamental rights enforcement case.
Falana, through his counsel Olumide Babalola, has not yet responded to the appeal. No date has been fixed for the hearing.
The case is expected to further test the legal responsibilities of global tech platforms operating within Nigeria’s digital regulatory framework.
