The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued a stern warning to telemarketers, saying in a press release, that it will prosecute those who illegally access the telephone numbers of telecom subscribers for commercial activities and gains. This is because utilising people’s phone numbers without their consent is considered a violation of privacy.
The attention of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has been drawn to the criminal activities of telemarketers who illegally access the telephone numbers of telecom subscribers for their commercial activities and gains.
NCC
Telemarketers are professionals who are responsible for talking to potential customers on the phone and selling products or soliciting donations. Their duties include tracking customer contact lists, explaining the benefits or advantages of their services, and obtaining payment information if necessary. NCC went ahead to debunk the claims made by these telemarketers that they obtained phone numbers from the NCC or the national database of registered SIM cards. The NCC labeled these assertions as false.
The NCC emphasised its commitment to protecting telecom subscriber data through relevant regulations, citing specific sections of the Consumer Code of Practice Regulations, the Nigerian Communications (Registration of Communications Subscribers) Regulations, and the NCC’s Internet Code of Practice.
While the Commission recommended using the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) Short Code to manage Value Added Service subscriptions and block unsolicited text messages and telemarketing offers, the Truecaller app stands out as a highly effective solution for protecting oneself from spam calls and telemarketing. This app operates discreetly in the background of your phone, automatically identifying and blocking robocalls, telemarketers, scams, fraud, harassment, and more.
Key Information on the 2019 Nigerian Data Protection Regulation you should be aware of
The Nigerian Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) is the principal data protection legislation in Nigeria. It came into effect on January 25, 2019, under the Nigerian Information Development Agency (NITDA) Act 2007.
The NDPR is influenced by the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and shares similarities with it. The main purpose of the NDPR is to safeguard personal information and privacy from data breaches and misuse. It aims to give individuals control over their personal data and hold organizations accountable for how they handle it.
NDPR applies to data controllers and administrators processing personal data of individuals residing in Nigeria, even if the processing occurs outside of Nigeria but involves Nigerian data subjects.
NDPR grants data subjects eight rights, including the right to access, rectification, deletion, data portability, and objection to processing, among others. NDPR also imposed penalties for violations, with fines based on the number of data subjects affected.
Penalties can be substantial, up to 2% of the organisation’s annual gross profit. It outlines several principles, including purpose limitation, data minimisation, storage limitation, data security, lawfulness basis, transparency, and accountability.
To learn more, visit a LinkedIn post by Tech Law & Governance Expert, Obinna O. Agwu, Esq.
