MultiChoice Nigeria To Pay $501, 340 Fine For Data Breach

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), has slammed Multichoice Nigeria Limited Africa’s biggest pay television company, a fine of N766 million ($501,340).

The firm is accused of violating the country’s data protection law.

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, according to Reuters.

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.

“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.