Lagos Court: Meta's Terms of Use Do Not Constitute Valid Consent for Ad Targeting

A court in Lagos ruled on September 25, 2026, that Meta violated the privacy rights of six Nigerian plaintiffs after building profiles for behavioral ad targeting across Facebook and Instagram without a legal basis authorizing it, according to the website "Relevant Audience".

The court rejected Meta's argument that its terms of service constitute valid consent for this targeting, and awarded financial compensation equivalent to $100,000 to the six plaintiffs, in a ruling that may be cited in similar cases before other courts considering the same issue.

The court gave Meta eight weeks to provide evidence that the processing of Nigerians' data complies with the Nigerian Personal Data Protection Act of 2023, a deadline that places the company under a clear obligation to disclose how it handles user data and audit its practices.

The published report did not clarify whether Meta intends to appeal the ruling, while the decision sets a precedent regarding consent standards for ad targeting technologies in emerging markets, and may prompt other companies to review their practices and policies before similar cases reach them.

What do these terms mean?

**Behavioral Ad Targeting:** Creating a profile for each user based on their behavior and interactions to select the ads displayed to them later, which may include their location and device type. **Valid Consent:** A legal basis allowing the processing of user data, and is not implicitly assumed merely from accepting the terms of service upon registration. **Data Protection:** Rules governing how companies collect, use, store, and share individuals' data with other parties, requiring them to obtain a clear legal basis prior to processing.