The Federal Government of Nigeria has cautioned social media users and content creators against recording and sharing images or videos of members of the public without their consent, warning that such actions could attract legal sanctions.
The warning was issued by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), which raised concerns over the growing trend of individuals filming unsuspecting members of the public—particularly along busy roadsides in Lagos—and posting the content on platforms such as TikTok, X and Meta.
In a statement, the commission said the practice violates citizens’ rights to informational self-determination as guaranteed under Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria and provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.
According to the NDPC, a preliminary investigation showed that many of the videos circulating online are recorded without consent and often serve no public interest or lawful purpose.
“Processing the images of people in these circumstances requires explicit consent. Where consent is absent, both creators and platforms risk liability under the law,” the commission stated.
The National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the NDPC, Vincent Olatunji, urged social media platform operators to strictly enforce their community guidelines to prevent harm arising from unlawful data processing. He warned that failure to take swift action could attract sanctions under the Nigeria Data Protection Act.
The commission also warned that individual content creators could face criminal prosecution for violating citizens’ privacy rights.
Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations at the NDPC, Babatunde Bamigboye, who signed the statement, reiterated the government’s commitment to enforcing privacy laws and protecting the personal data of Nigerians.
Meanwhile, the NDPC disclosed that it recently joined more than 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.
The initiative addresses growing concerns over the misuse of artificial intelligence to create realistic images and videos of identifiable individuals without their consent, including non-consensual intimate content and defamatory deepfakes.
It calls on organisations deploying artificial intelligence systems to implement strong safeguards, ensure transparency and provide mechanisms for the swift removal of harmful content in line with data protection laws.
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