Abuja, Nigeria – Nigeria’s Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has imposed a hefty fine of $358,580 on Fidelity Bank for breaching data privacy laws. This is the largest penalty the NDPC has levied on an entity for such violations.
The fine, equivalent to 555,800,000 naira, was levied following an investigation launched in April 2023 into the bank’s practices. The NDPC found that Fidelity Bank had illegally collected personal data to open an account for a customer without their informed consent.
In a statement, the NDPC said that Fidelity Bank had “processed personal data without informed consent of data subjects” in certain instances. The bank was also found to have deployed tools such as cookies and banking apps in violation of the law.
Fidelity Bank, however, has disputed the NDPC’s findings. The bank maintains that there was no data breach and that the account opening process was not completed. In a statement, Fidelity said it is in discussions with the NDPC to resolve the matter amicably.
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