**FG Warns Against Sharing Public Videos without Consent** The Federal Government has issued a stern warning to social media users and content creators in Nigeria about sharing unauthorized videos of members of the public. This warning comes as a result of concerns raised by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) about individuals who record unsuspecting people, especially in busy areas of Lagos State, and share such content on platforms like TikTok, X, and Meta. According to the NDPC, these actions are a breach of citizens' rights to informational self-determination, as enshrined in Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution and the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023. The Commission has found that many of these recordings serve no public interest and lack lawful justification. "For instance, when you're capturing the images of people at a busy road in Lagos, it's not for public interest unless they're participating in a legitimate event or activity," explained Dr Vincent Olatunji, the National Commissioner and CEO of the NDPC. "In such cases, explicit consent is required from the individuals involved." The NDPC has directed platform owners to rigorously enforce their community guidelines and prevent any harm arising from unlawful data processing. Failure to act promptly may attract sanctions under the NDP Act. Individual content creators who violate citizens' privacy rights may also face criminal prosecution. "People do not expect their images to be captured and shared publicly without their consent," the Commission noted. Babatunde Bamigboye, Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations at the NDPC, emphasized that the FG is committed to ensuring strict enforcement of privacy laws. "Both social media platforms and creators must uphold the rights of Nigerians or face legal consequences," he said. This warning comes as part of broader efforts to protect personal data in Nigeria. The NDPC recently joined over 60 global data protection authorities in endorsing the "Joint Statement on AI-Generated Personal Data."