Nigeria’s information safety regulator has launched an investigation into Chinese language e-commerce platform Temu over considerations that the non-public information of thousands and thousands of Nigerians could have been improperly dealt with.
The probe was ordered by the Nationwide Commissioner and Chief Govt Officer of the Nigeria Information Safety Fee (NDPC), Dr. Vincent Olatunji, following indications that the corporate processes private info belonging to roughly 12.7 million Nigerians.
The event was disclosed in an announcement signed by Babatunde Bamigboye, Esq., CDPRP, Head of Authorized, Enforcement and Rules on the NDPC.
Based on the Fee, the investigation was triggered by a number of considerations surrounding the platform’s dealing with of non-public information, together with points associated to on-line surveillance, transparency, accountability, information minimisation, obligation of care, and cross-border information transfers.
The regulator stated the size of knowledge assortment raises vital questions on compliance with Nigeria’s privateness requirements.
Dr. Olatunji additionally cautioned firms that course of private information on behalf of different organisations to make sure strict compliance with the NDP Act.
He warned that processors who perform information processing actions for information controllers with out verifying their authorized compliance may very well be held liable beneath Nigerian regulation.
The probe comes amid rising regulatory consideration on firms throughout sectors, notably these dealing with massive volumes of non-public info.
Final August, launched a sector-wide investigation into 1,369 organisations suspected of flouting provisions of the Nigeria Information Safety Act (NDPA) 2023.
The NDPC final yr slammed a effective of N766.2 million towards Multichoice Nigeria for violating the NDPA, in what got here as the biggest single effective coming from the Fee because the Act got here into drive in 2023.
It’s because the NDPC has adopted a remediation method, which ensures that firms discovered to have violated the Act do the precise factor to flee being fined.
The NDPC’s Nationwide Commissioner, Dr. Vincent Olatunji lately advised Nairametrics that the remediation method is being adopted to make sure enterprise sustainability, however famous that any group that fails to adjust to its remediation suggestions might be fined.
He added that the Fee can be taking the nation’s financial system into consideration by not making pronouncements that might discourage investments.
