Nigerian agency fines Multichoice for data privacy breaches

Nigeria's data protection agency has fined Multichoice Nigeria Limited, Africa's biggest pay television company, 766 million naira ($501,340) for violating the country's data protection law, a spokesperson said.

A Multichoice logo is displayed outside the company's building in Cape Town, South Africa, 2 February 2024. Reuters/Esa Alexander

MultiChoice, which operates pay-TV services DSTV and GOTV in Nigeria, has faced legal and regulatory hurdles in the past two years from authorities regarding contentious price hikes and tax disagreements. The company could not be reached immediately for comment.

Babatunde Bamigboye, head of legal at the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), said the penalty follows an investigation initiated a year ago, prompted by suspected breaches of subscribers' privacy rights and illegal cross-border transfer of personal data.

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"The depth of data processing by MultiChoice is patently intrusive, unfair, unnecessary, and disproportionate," affecting not only subscribers but also their associates," Bamigboye said in a statement late on Sunday.

Despite a directive to implement remedial measures, Multichoice's efforts were deemed unsatisfactory, Bamigboye said.

($1 = 1,528.3900 naira)