By Danjuma Amodu | March 14, 2026
The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has warned content creators to respect citizens’ privacy, stating that taking and sharing images or video footage of unsuspecting individuals without consent is a violation of their rights.
In a statement signed by the Head of the Commission’s Legal, Enforcement and Regulations, Babatunde Bamigboye Esq., the NDPC explained that “these acts violate the rights of citizens to informational self-determination as guaranteed under Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria and the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 (NDP Act)”.
The warning follows reports of individuals creating “reality shows” by capturing and sharing videos of people on social media without their permission. The NDPC says this practice, exemplified by a content creator in Lagos State who created a “reality show” of unsuspecting members of the general public, is an abuse of rights and lacks legitimate interest in the name of entertainment.
The statement warned that “processing the images of people, in these circumstances, requires consent, unless the creator can justify their actions under other lawful bases of data processing.”
In the case of the content creator in Lagos, the Commission stated that preliminary investigation reveals that this wilful invasion of citizens’ privacy serves neither a public nor a legitimate interest.
The statement added that the data subjects involved in the content have no expectation that their images will be captured and shared with the whole world by unknown individuals.
In this vein, the National Commissioner/CEO of the Commission, Dr Vincent Olatunji, has directed social media platforms like TikTok, X, and Meta to enforce their community guidelines to prevent harm to individuals through unlawful and unfair processing of personal data.
The statement further stressed that platform owners that fail to act may face sanctions under the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023. Individual content creators are also accountable and may face prosecution for violating citizens’ privacy rights.
