The Federal Government, through the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has kicked against WhatsApp’s updated Privacy Policy.
The Policy states that the application will share information about the users on their platform with their parent company (Facebook), as well as other sister companies.
The information includes user phone numbers, “transaction data, service-related information, information on how you interact with others (including businesses) when using our Services, mobile device information, your IP address”.
Furthermore, WhatsApp has indicated that users who refuse to accept their revised privacy policy risk not being able to use the service at all.
However, the Federal Government assures Nigerians that the Nigeria Data Protection Regulations (NDPR) of 2019 is committed to upholding their data privacy.
“We are also aware that the European region is exempt from the provisions of the updated Policy and it is also being challenged in a number of countries,” the Minister said in a statement signed by Dr. Femi Adeluyi, Technical Assistant (Information Technology) to the Minister.
The Minister directed the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), as the Regulator of the Information Technology sector, to engage vigorously with Facebook to understand the processes, level of security, etc of the data of Nigerian users in order to ensure that Policies proposed for Nigeria strictly adhere to the provisions of NDPR.
“Nigerians can be assured that the Federal Government will give utmost attention to the privacy of their data, in line with the NDPR and the National Digital Economy Policy for a Digital Nigeria,” the statement said.
(Daily Post)
The Policy states that the application will share information about the users on their platform with their parent company (Facebook), as well as other sister companies.
The information includes user phone numbers, “transaction data, service-related information, information on how you interact with others (including businesses) when using our Services, mobile device information, your IP address”.
Furthermore, WhatsApp has indicated that users who refuse to accept their revised privacy policy risk not being able to use the service at all.
However, the Federal Government assures Nigerians that the Nigeria Data Protection Regulations (NDPR) of 2019 is committed to upholding their data privacy.
“We are also aware that the European region is exempt from the provisions of the updated Policy and it is also being challenged in a number of countries,” the Minister said in a statement signed by Dr. Femi Adeluyi, Technical Assistant (Information Technology) to the Minister.
The Minister directed the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), as the Regulator of the Information Technology sector, to engage vigorously with Facebook to understand the processes, level of security, etc of the data of Nigerian users in order to ensure that Policies proposed for Nigeria strictly adhere to the provisions of NDPR.
“Nigerians can be assured that the Federal Government will give utmost attention to the privacy of their data, in line with the NDPR and the National Digital Economy Policy for a Digital Nigeria,” the statement said.
(Daily Post)
