NDPC Probes Optasia over Suspected Violation of Data Rights

Dr. Vincent Olatunji, national commissioner, National Data Protection Commission (NDPC), has ordered a full-scale investigation into the data processing activities of Optasia which operates in Nigeria as Nairtime Nigeria Ltd.

The Commission in a statement released by Babatunde Bamigboye, head, Legal, Enforcement & Regulations noted with grave concern that Optasia deploys privacy invading technologies to process personal data for the purposes of marketing, credit scoring and other financial solutions.

“The investigation of credit scoring activities covers the way financial institutions, telecommunication companies, insurance companies among others process personal data of citizens for various purposes,” the commission explained in a statement.

The national commissioner “enjoins data controllers and data processors of major importance who rely on third parties as mediums through which the personal data of the Nigerian populace may be processed to ensure that such third parties are duly registered with the Commission.”

This measure, according to him, “will ensure accountability, strengthen data security architecture and protect Nigeria’s data sovereignty. “