Key Points

• Nigeria’s NDPC ordered TikTok, X and Meta to crack down on content creators who film unsuspecting members of the public without consent
• Platforms that fail to act face sanctions under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023
• Nigeria banned Twitter for 222 days in 2021; regulators say the risk of another platform suspension remains real

Nigeria’s data protection authority has directed TikTok, X and Meta to strengthen enforcement of their community guidelines or face regulatory sanctions, escalating a standoff over the unauthorized filming of unsuspecting members of the public.

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) issued the directive after flagging a pattern of content creators recording ordinary Nigerians in public spaces, often without their knowledge or consent, and publishing the footage across social media platforms for entertainment and monetization.

NDPC cites constitutional violations

In a statement, the NDPC said the practice violates Section 37 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, which guarantees citizens the right to privacy, as well as the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.

“Processing the images of people, in this circumstance, requires consent unless the creator can justify her actions under other lawful bases of data processing,” the commission said, adding that preliminary investigations found no legitimate public interest justifying the content.

The NDPC singled out a Lagos-based creator who films unsuspecting passersby as part of a street reality show, calling it a “wilful invasion of citizens’ privacy.”

The commission warned that platform owners who fail to act will face “appropriate sanctions” under the NDP Act.

A history of social media crackdowns

Nigeria’s relationship with major social media platforms has been volatile. In June 2021, the federal government suspended Twitter after the platform deleted a post by then-President Muhammadu Buhari for violating its rules on abusive behavior.

The ban lasted 222 days before Twitter agreed to register as a legal entity in Nigeria, pay taxes and comply with local content regulations.

Meta faces separate scrutiny in Nigeria. Reports from May 2025 indicate the company is contesting fines exceeding $290 million from Nigerian regulators over compliance failures.

The NDPC’s latest directive broadens the scope of that regulatory pressure, pulling TikTok, Instagram and X directly into data protection enforcement rather than content moderation disputes.

Industry observers say platforms operating in Nigeria will need to demonstrate active enforcement of consent-based content policies to avoid sanctions, given the commission’s increasingly assertive regulatory posture.