The Federal Government has warned social media users and content creators about the unauthorised capture and sharing of images and videos of the general public, signalling that violations could attract legal sanctions.
The Nigeria Data Protection Commission, acting on behalf of the FG, raised concerns about individuals who record unsuspecting members of the public, particularly at busy roadsides in Lagos State, and share such content on platforms like TikTok, X, and Meta. The Commission described these actions as breaches of citizens’ rights to informational self-determination under Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution and the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.
A preliminary NDPC investigation found that these recordings often serve no public interest and lack lawful justification. “Processing the images of people in these circumstances requires explicit consent,” the Commission noted in a statement. “Where consent is absent, both creators and platforms risk liability under the law.”
The National Commissioner and CEO of the NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, directed platform owners to enforce community guidelines rigorously and prevent harm arising from unlawful data processing. He emphasised that failure to act promptly could attract sanctions under the NDP Act.
The NDPC also highlighted that individual content creators may face criminal prosecution for violating citizens’ privacy rights. “People do not expect their images to be captured and shared publicly without consent,” the Commission noted.
The Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations at the NDPC, Babatunde Bamigboye, who signed the statement, reiterated that the FG is committed to ensuring strict enforcement of privacy laws. He said both social media platforms and creators must uphold the rights of Nigerians or face legal consequences.
As part of broader efforts to protect personal data, the NDPC 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’s International Enforcement Cooperation Working Group. It addresses growing concerns over the misuse of artificial intelligence tools to generate highly realistic images and videos of identifiable individuals without consent, including non‑consensual intimate imagery and defamatory deepfakes. It calls on organisations deploying AI systems to implement strong safeguards, ensure transparency, and provide effective mechanisms for rapid removal of harmful content in compliance with data protection laws.
