The Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has penalised Multichoice Nigeria for carrying out illegal cross-border transfer of personal data relating to data subjects in Nigeria.
It fined Multichoice the sum of N766,242,500 for violating the Nigerian Data Protection Act (NDP Act).
The Commission disclosed this in a release signed by Mr. Babatunde Bamigbose, Head of Legal Enforcement and Regulation, stating that the depth of data processing by Multichoice is intrusive, unfair, unnecessary, and disproportionate.
The suspected breach of privacy rights of Multichoice subscribers and illegal cross-border transfer of personal data of Nigerians triggered the investigation, which commenced in the second quarter of 2024.
NDPC found, among others, that Multichoice violated the data privacy rights of subscribers and their friends who are not necessarily subscribers.
Nigeria is entitled to protect its citizens and data sovereignty under both international and extant municipal laws, as these have far-reaching implications for the rule of law, national security, and economic growth.
In line with its standard remedial procedure, the Commission directed Multichoice to carry out appropriate remedial measures. It found the measures that Multichoice undertook regarding this to be unsatisfactory.
Dr Vincent Olatunji has therefore directed that all outlets through which Multichoice is collecting personal data of Nigerian citizens should be investigated for non-compliance, adding that any outlet that processes personal data in violation of the NDPC Act is liable to a penalty under the Act.
