The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has cautioned content creators against photographing or recording unsuspecting members of the public and sharing such content on social media without their consent.
The warning was issued in a statement on Friday in Abuja by Babatunde Bamigboye, Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations at the commission.
According to Bamigboye, capturing and sharing images or videos of individuals without their permission violates citizens’ rights to informational self-determination as guaranteed under Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA).
He said the commission’s attention had been drawn to the activities of some individuals who film unsuspecting members of the public and upload the footage online for entertainment purposes.
Bamigboye cited a case involving a content creator who reportedly stood by roadsides in Lagos to produce a reality-style show using footage of unsuspecting passersby.
He explained that processing people’s images in such situations requires their consent unless the creator can justify the action under other lawful grounds of data processing.
According to him, preliminary investigations by the commission indicate that such acts of invading citizens’ privacy neither serve public interest nor any legitimate purpose.
“In any event, the data subjects involved have no expectation that their images will be captured and shared with the whole world by an unknown individual,” Bamigboye said.
The NDPC National Commissioner, Vincent Olatunji, was also quoted as directing social media platform operators to strengthen enforcement of their community guidelines.
Platforms mentioned include TikTok, X, and services owned by Meta.
The directive, he said, aims to prevent harm to individuals through unlawful or unfair processing of personal data.
The commission warned that platform owners who fail to promptly address such violations may face sanctions under the Nigeria Data Protection Act.
Bamigboye further stressed that individual content creators could also face criminal prosecution if found guilty of violating the privacy rights of citizens and other data subjects in Nigeria.