The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has warned against activities of individuals who take pictures and video footage of unsuspecting members of the general public and share same on social media platforms warning that the acts violate the rights of citizens to informational self-determination as guaranteed under S.37 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 (NDP Act).
The commission in a statement signed by the head legal of the commission Babatunde Bamigboye is reacting to the case of a content creator who stands at roadsides in Lagos State to create a “reality show” of unsuspecting members of the general public raising concerns about abuse of rights.
Preliminary investigation by the Commission reveals that this wilful invasion of citizens’ privacy serves neither a public nor a legitimate interest.
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The statement said the data subjects involved have no expectation that their images will be captured and shared with the whole world by an unknown individual.
In the wake of this development, the National Commission, has directed platform owners (such as TikTok, X, and Meta) to step up enforcement of community guidelines with a view to preventing harm to individuals through unlawful and unfair processing of personal data.
The Commission warns that it will not hesitate to impose appropriate sanctions under the NDP Act. individual content creators are accountable for their acts and omissions, and may be liable to criminal prosecution for violating the privacy rights of citizens and other data subjects in Nigeria.
(Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie)
