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From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has launched an investigation into the data processing activities of global e-commerce platform Temu over alleged violations of the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDP Act).
The National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Dr Vincent Olatunji, ordered an immediate probe following concerns that the platform’s operations may not fully comply with provisions of the Act.
According to a statement issued by the Commission on Monday, the investigation was triggered by issues surrounding online surveillance through personal data processing, accountability, data minimisation requirements, transparency obligations, duty of care and cross-border transfer of personal data.
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NDPC said, “Preliminary investigations indicate that Temu is an e-commerce platform which processes personal information of approximately 12.7 million data subjects in Nigeria with 70 million daily active users globally.”
The Commission expressed concern over the scale of data processing activities and emphasised the need to ensure that the privacy rights of Nigerian users are adequately protected in line with the law.
The NDPC boss also warned that data processors who carry out processing activities on behalf of data controllers without first verifying their compliance with the NDP Act may be held liable under the law. He stressed that all entities involved in personal data processing must adhere strictly to the principles of lawfulness, fairness, transparency and accountability.
The NDPC reiterated its commitment to enforcing compliance and safeguarding the personal data of Nigerians, adding that organisations found to have violated the Act would face appropriate regulatory actions.
