May 23, 2021

The new WhatsApp policy is not applicable in Europe and some parts of the world because it erodes the rights of individuals to their privacy.

The Nigerian government said it would engage WhatsApp over its new Privacy Policy which makes it compulsory for the messaging application to share information about the users on their platform with their parent company (Facebook), as well as other Facebook companies.

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami in a statement signed by Dr. Femi Adeluyi, Technical Assistant (Information Technology) to the minister, said this is contrary to the provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Regulations (NDPR) released in 2019 which seeks to protect Nigerians in cyberspace.

The new WhatsApp policy is not applicable in Europe and some parts of the world because it erodes the rights of individuals to their privacy.

Below is the full statement:

FG Has Reservations, Engages Facebook On WhatsApp Updated Privacy Policy

The attention of the  Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has been brought to the updated Privacy Policy of the WhatsApp messaging application.

The Policy states that WhatsApp will share information about the users on their platform with their parent company (Facebook), as well as other Facebook 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.

The Federal Government released the Nigeria Data Protection Regulations (NDPR) in 2019 and is committed to upholding the data privacy of Nigerians.  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 has therefore 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 uttermost attention to the privacy of their data, in line with the NDPR and the National Digital Economy Policy for a Digital Nigeria.

Dr. Femi Adeluyi

Technical Assistant (Information Technology) to the

Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy

21st May, 2021