Digital Privacy: Court Orders X To Reveal Identity Of Anonymous Troll, Pay Student N20m Damages

Justice Adeniyi Pokanu of the Lagos State High Court in Ikorodu has ordered X Corporation, the owner of the X platform (formerly Twitter), to disclose information capable of identifying the operator of an anonymous parody account accused of manipulating a Nigerian student, Esther Agboola’s social media post.

Justice Pokanu, in the landmark judgment that is capable of redefining digital privacy and online anonymity, held that the anonymous user’s actions violated the student’s constitutional right to privacy and the provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023.

The judge awarded N20 million in general damages against the unidentified operator of the account, @boutmoney112, and imposed a conditional award of N50 million against X Corp should it fail to comply with the disclosure order.

The suit was filed by Agboola, operating the X handle @agirlnamed_esth, who had posted photographs on 9 January 2026, with the caption, “Chapter 25. Happy Birthday to me!” to celebrate her 25th birthday.

She had informed the court that the anonymous account operator later retrieved an earlier birthday post she made in January 2025 celebrating her 24th birthday and manipulated its timestamp to falsely suggest it had been published in January 2022.

The applicant claimed the manipulation created the false impression that she had lied about her age, leading to widespread cyberbullying, ridicule, harassment, reputational damage, and emotional distress.

Agboola had therefore prayed the court to declare that her rights had been violated, award damages, and compel X Corp to disclose information capable of identifying the anonymous account holder.

In his judgment, Justice Pokanu held that the unauthorised manipulation, alteration, and republication of the student’s post constituted a breach of her right to privacy guaranteed under Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution.

The court further held that the conduct amounted to unlawful and unfair processing of personal data in violation of Sections 24(1)(a) and 24(1)(e) of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, which require personal data to be processed lawfully, fairly, transparently, and accurately.

Justice Pokanu, who relied on previous judicial authorities, held that constitutional privacy protections extend beyond physical spaces to include personal information and digital data.

Among the authorities cited were Emerging Markets Telecommunication Services Ltd v. Barr Godfrey Eneye and Incorporated Trustees of Digital Rights Lawyers Initiative & Ors v. National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

The judge ordered X Corp to file an Affidavit of Disclosure within 14 days of being served with the enrolled judgment, providing all information capable of identifying or locating the operator of @boutmoney112, including the person’s full name, contact details, means of identification, and any other relevant information in its possession.

The judge further stated that X Corp, as the owner and operator of the platform, possesses account records and platform activity logs capable of identifying anonymous users.

Justice Pokanu also considered a Dutch court decision compelling a social media platform to disclose the identity of an anonymous user.

In addition to awarding N20 million in general damages against the anonymous account operator for the applicant’s mental anguish, humiliation, emotional distress, and reputational injury, the court imposed a conditional N50 million award against X Corp.

The damages will become payable if the company fails, neglects, or refuses to comply with the disclosure order.

The applicant was represented by her lawyer Dr Olumide Babalola, while neither X Corp nor the anonymous account operator entered an appearance or filed any process in the suit, prompting the court to grant the applicant’s originating motion dated 25 January 2026.