The National Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has started an inquiry into the e-commerce platform Temu following claims of a breach of the Data Protection Act, which reportedly affects the personal data of 12.7 million users in Nigeria.
This was confirmed in a statement released by Babatunde Bamigboye, the head of legal, enforcement, and regulation at the commission, on Monday.
The NDPC explained that the probe into Temu was initiated due to worries regarding online surveillance, the handling of personal data, accountability, and the principle of data minimization.
Temu, a Chinese platform, entered the Nigerian market in late 2024 and has since conducted an extensive marketing campaign across various social media platforms and app stores.
According to the NDPC, the inquiry was instigated by CEO Vincent Olatunji, after it was alleged that Temu violated the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDP Act), 2023, particularly concerning the transfer of data across borders affecting 12.7 million Nigerian users.
"The NDPC National Commissioner/CEO, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, has mandated an immediate investigation into Temu's data processing practices, which may violate the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDP Act), 2023.
The investigation into Temu arose from concerns regarding online surveillance associated with personal data management, the requirements for accountability and data minimization, transparency, and cross-border data transfers.
"Preliminary findings suggest that Temu is an online shopping platform processing the personal data of roughly 12.7 million individuals in Nigeria, with a total of 70 million active users daily across its global operations," read the statement.
Mr. Olatunji emphasized the importance of verifying compliance with the NDP Act, stating that processors dealing with data on behalf of data controllers must ensure adherence to the law to avoid being liable for violations.
Temu, which was launched in the United States in September 2022, has achieved rapid growth, now serving over 90 markets globally by 2025 and becoming the most downloaded application in the U.S. during 2024.
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