DATA PRIVACY/PROTECTION: “You Signed Up… But Did You Really Consent? And Data Abuse Is Not Customer Service”

In today’s world, data is currency, and privacy is the vault that protects it.

But in Nigeria, that vault is often left wide open.

A few years ago, a friend applied for a loan through a popular Nigerian digital lending app. She had been consistent in her repayment schedule, but life happened, and she defaulted for just one month. The very next day, she began receiving lots of calls, not from the lender, but from people in her contact list. The lender had reached out to them about her unpaid loan. She wasn’t just embarrassed, she was violated.

Just recently, I also experienced constant, unsolicited calls from Multichoice staff, reminding me of my expired DSTV subscription and aggressively marketing new plans. I never gave explicit consent to be contacted for sales,only to pay for a service.

These two experiences have one thing in common:

Our personal data was used beyond what we agreed to. that’s if we even truly agreed at all.

At first glance, these might seem like everyday inconveniences. But they are actually data privacy infringements,violations of Nigeria’s NDPR and even broader data protection regulations.

As I continue to grow and evolve the Cyber with digital space, one truth is clear:

📌 Just because data is collected doesn’t mean it can be used however a company pleases.

Let’s Break It Down:

Even if these actions are mentioned in the Terms & Conditions, they don’t make them lawful. The GDPR and NDPR regulations that govern our data privacy clearly state that:

✅ Consent must be clear, informed, and specific — not buried in legal jargon.

🚫 Contacts of customers (like family or friends) didn’t consent to be involved.

❌ Marketing or public shaming isn’t a lawful basis for processing personal data.

📌 Collecting more data than necessary violates the data minimization principle.

👥 As Individuals

We must be more mindful of the personal information we share.

In this digital age, we often give permissions without reading the fine print.

Pause. Read. Ask questions. One careless click could cost you your privacy or your reputation.

🏢 As Organizations

Stick to the original purpose for which personal data was collected. Unsolicited messages without clear consent like DSTV’s aggressive marketing is violating privacy laws and erode customer trust.

Simplify your Terms & Conditions. Be transparent. If you want trust, make it easy to understand what users are agreeing to.

We need a future where data is handled with care, not convenience but where privacy is seen as a right, not a checkbox.

Let’s do better as companies, and as individuals.

Have you ever experienced any form of data breach?

Is this just a Nigeria issue, or does it happen outside Nigeria too?

DataPrivacy #NDPR #CyberSecurity #GRC #DigitalRights #NigeriaTech #PrivacyByDesign #TechForGood #ConsumerProtection