One of Nigeria’s first generation banks, United Bank for Africa (UBA), and a popular video streaming channel, Netflix Entertainment Company, have been dragged before a High Court in Ondo, by the Executive Director, Network for the Actualization of Social Growth and Viable Development (NEFGAD), Akingunola Omoniyi, for breach of subscription payment terms and conditions.
Netflix is an American subscription video-on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by Netflix, Inc.
Akingunola describe the event as “a breach of trust and lack of respect for customer’s privacy and security by both UBA and NETFLIX’’
The case became known to the public when a copy of the court hearing notice between the plaintiff and the defendant got leaked to the internet on Thursday.
Mr Akingunola while reacting to the document through a phone conversation with our correspondent confirmed the incident and claimed that he embarked on the case in the interest of other subscribers who could be experiencing similar issues and in the interest of Nigeria.
“For me, maintaining law and order is the highest form of patriotism and the act must be across the board. Business owners are not supposed to do business in Nigeria for the profit alone but also do it the proper way,” Akungunola said.
He further said “it is known that One-Time-Password, generally known as OTP is supposed to be valid for a single transaction as its name implies and not an authorization of complete and blanket access to customer’s personal account details and continuous access to the account of the customer. It is also a breach of customers’ detail by the bank who allowed it. I wouldn’t want to give more details since the matter is now in court.”
It was gathered that UBA and the film streaming channels do collusively deduct subscribers’ money for renewal of subscriptions directly from customers’ accounts without prior notification and authorisation as against Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) regulation on internet banking that stipulated proper notification and the use of protective One-Time-Password (OTP) method for all mobile and internet transactions.
The case is billed for hearing on the June 26, 2023, at Ondo High Court.