The Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) is cracking down on digital lenders who’ve been messing with their customers’ privacy.
It’s looking into over 400 cases of privacy violations and is planning to ban or restrict mobile numbers used by lenders to harass people.
This news comes after some loan apps got kicked off the Google Play Store last year because of fraud concerns. But the problems haven’t gone away.
According to NDPC’s report for 2023, these loan apps are being way too nosy, digging into people’s contacts, pictures, and messages.
This seems to be the norm too, not the exception.
So, what’s the plan? NDPC wants to partner with other regulators and the platforms these lenders use, to crack down on the privacy breaches.
It’s drafting new rules called the Nigeria Data Protection Act-General Application and Implementation Directive to tackle data breaches and promote better privacy practices.
It’s also putting pressure on communication networks to cut off the phone lines used for privacy violations. And from now on, lending companies need the NDPC’s clearance before they can even start operating.
And Google Play has also tightened its rules for Nigerian money lenders, demanding they comply with FCCPC regulations.
