Popular e-commerce platform, Temu, is currently under investigation by the National Data Protection Commission (NDPC) over an alleged breach of the Data Protection Act, involving the personal data of 12.7 million users in Nigeria.
The commission revealed this in a statement signed by Babatunde Bamigboye, its Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulation, recently.
According to the statement, the investigation into Temu was ordered by NDPC CEO Vincent Olatunji. The investigation was triggered by concerns around online surveillance through personal data processing, accountability, and data minimisation.
The statement reads, “The NDPC National Commissioner/CEO, Dr Vincent Olatunji, has ordered an immediate investigation of the data processing activities of Temu, which may be in violation of the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDP Act), 2023.
“The investigation into Temu was triggered by concerns around online surveillance through personal data processing, accountability, data minimisation requirements, transparency, duty of care, and cross-border data transfer.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that Temu is an e-commerce platform which processes personal information of approximately 12.7 million data subjects in Nigeria, with 70 million daily active users globally.”
The commission, through its CEO, Mr Olatunji, further warned against unverified data processing activities, noting that it is liable for NDP Act violations and subject to investigation.
“The National Commissioner warns that processors who engage in processing activities on behalf of data controllers without verifying their compliance with the NDP Act may be liable under the NDP Act.”
The Chinese platform made its entry into the Nigerian market in late 2024, accompanied by an intense marketing drive across social media platforms and mobile app stores.
Temu launched in the United States in September 2022 and has since expanded rapidly, reaching more than 90 markets worldwide by 2025, and became the most downloaded app in the US in 2024.