Nigeria Data Commission Warns Creators on Privacy Breaches

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission issued a warning on Friday to social media content creators against capturing and sharing images or videos of members of the public without their consent, citing violations of privacy rights under the 1999 Constitution and the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023. The statement, released in Abuja and signed by Babatunde Bamigboye, the commission's head of legal, enforcement and regulations, followed reports of unauthorized filming in public spaces, particularly in Lagos State.

The alert came amid a controversy involving a Lagos-based TikTok creator known as Ella, who documented long queues and bus shortages at the Bus Rapid Transit terminal in Ikorodu. In a video posted online, Ella described being confronted and threatened by a supervisor while recording the situation, where commuters often wait more than two hours to board. The supervisor, employed by a private bus operating company and not directly by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, attempted to seize her phone and demanded she stop filming, according to the footage. Ella refused, stating there were no buses available and urging authorities to provide more transport options.