By Kola Alhassan
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) claims Google is uncooperative regarding weeding out illegal online loan operators in the country for violation of consumer rights.
This was alleged by the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, FCCPC, Mr Babtunde Irukera at a media parley in Lagos.
Irukera said Google has refused to cooperate with the commission to enforce the withdrawal of the applications being used by the loan operators from its Play Store, despite evidence of wrong use.
Over two weeks ago,the FCCPC raided the offices of some illegal online loan operators in Lagos.
Irukera stated that the commission had secured court backing to ensure the Apps are taken from Google and Apple platforms.
The FCCPC boss bemoaned Google’s refusal to cooperate.
He said : “We are trying to close some Apps down from Google and there is some resistance. I got a letter yesterday from someone who is a senior legal officer, Africa & Middle East at Google, and in that letter there is absolutely no way to contact Google.
“I found that extremely reprehensible and shameful that a company the size and magnitude of Google is hardly where it can be found, that a regulator is struggling to find Google and for Google to be able to enforce the order of a regulator in a country where Google is existing and doing business is the height of reckless irresponsibility on the part of a company with a brand and name like Google.
“So, for that letter they’ve written and their own successive barriers to be engaged for enforcement, I need to hold Google responsible.
“No company, no matter what benefit they bring should have that prerogative or opportunity of being that anonymous.”
