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Nigeria Data Protection Commission fines MultiChoice ₦766.2m for violating subscribers’ privacy rights.
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It was gathered that unlawful cross-border transfer of personal data and failure to comply with remediation orders.
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FG warns companies against breaching citizens’ data sovereignty and vows tougher enforcement.
The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has imposed a fine of ₦766,242,500 on MultiChoice Nigeria for breaching the Nigeria Data Protection Act and engaging in unauthorised cross-border transfer of subscribers’ personal data.
The commission’s Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations, Mr Babatunde Bamigboye, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja.
This was contained in a statement signed by Bamigboye following the conclusion of an investigation launched in the second quarter of 2024.
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“NDPC found, among other things, that MultiChoice violated the data privacy rights of its subscribers and individuals associated with them who are not necessarily subscribers,” the statement read.
The investigation revealed that MultiChoice’s data processing practices were “intrusive, unfair, unnecessary, and disproportionate,” posing a grave threat to the fundamental right to privacy guaranteed under Section 37 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution.
The NDPC noted that while MultiChoice was directed to implement remedial measures during the probe, its response was found to be unsatisfactory, leading to the imposition of the fine.
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The commission’s National Commissioner, Dr Vincent Olatunji, also ordered a wider audit of all channels through which MultiChoice collects Nigerians’ personal data to ensure full compliance with the law.
“Any outlet that processes personal data in violation of the NDPA is liable to a penalty under the Act,” Olatunji said.
The NDPC warned that protecting citizens’ data sovereignty was critical to Nigeria’s rule of law, national security, and economic growth.
