The Federal Government has issued a stern warning to social media users and content creators over the unauthorised recording and sharing of images and videos of unsuspecting members of the public, stating that such actions could attract legal sanctions.
The warning was conveyed through the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), which raised concerns about the growing trend of individuals filming people—particularly in busy roadside areas in Lagos State—and posting the content on platforms like TikTok, X, and Meta Platforms.
According to the Commission, such practices violate citizens’ right to informational self-determination as enshrined in Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution and the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023. A preliminary investigation by the NDPC revealed that many of these recordings serve no clear public interest and are often carried out without lawful justification.
“Processing the images of people in these circumstances requires explicit consent,” the Commission said in a statement, adding that both content creators and digital platforms could be held liable where consent is not obtained.
The National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the NDPC, Vincent Olatunji, directed platform owners to strictly enforce community guidelines and take swift action to prevent harm resulting from unlawful data processing. He warned that failure to comply could lead to sanctions under the data protection law.
The Commission also noted that individual creators could face criminal prosecution for breaching privacy rights, stressing that most people do not expect their images to be captured and circulated publicly without permission.
Similarly, the Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations at the NDPC, Babatunde Bamigboye, reiterated the government’s commitment to enforcing privacy laws. He emphasised that both platforms and users must respect the rights of Nigerians or face legal consequences.
As part of its broader efforts to safeguard personal data, the NDPC recently joined over 60 global data protection authorities in endorsing the “Joint Statement on AI-Generated Imagery and the Protection of Privacy,” coordinated by the Global Privacy Assembly’s International Enforcement Cooperation Working Group.
The statement addresses rising concerns over the misuse of artificial intelligence to create realistic images and videos of individuals without consent, including defamatory deepfakes and non-consensual intimate content. It calls on organisations deploying AI systems to adopt robust safeguards, ensure transparency, and provide mechanisms for the swift removal of harmful content in line with data protection regulations.
