Unity Bank In Fresh Scandal, Sued Over ‘Violation Of Privacy Right Of 53,000 Job Seekers’

Unity Bank Plc, is currently involved in a fresh scandal following a lawsuit brought against it over alleged unauthorized exposure of personal data of over 53,000 job seekers on the bank’s job portal in violation of the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation 2019.

BIGPEN reports this is coming on the backdrop of the recent National Industrial Court of Nigeria committal to prison proceedings against the bank’s managing director/chief executive officer, Oluwatomi Somefuni.

Somefuni was alleged to have flouted an orders made by the court in a motion filed by 25 ex-staff of the bank, in whose favour the Lagos division of the court had given a monetary judgment on July 3, 2019.

The latest of its many troubles, according to a report in Businesslive, is a personal data breach suit filed by the Digital Rights Lawyers Initiative against the lender following the unauthorized exposure of over 53,000 job seekers on the bank’s job portal.

In Suit No. FHC/AB/CS/85/2020, filed on 28 August 2020, the applicant sought:

“A declaration that the Respondent’s privacy policy on its website – “https://www.unitybankng.com/privacy” violates the provision of regulation 2.5 of the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation 2019.

“A declaration that the Respondent’s unauthorized exposure of personal data of data subjects on the Internet constitutes a personal data breach under regulation 1.3(11) of the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation 2019.

“A declaration that the Respondent’s unauthorized exposure of personal data of data subjects on the Internet constitutes a violation of the data subjects’ right to privacy guaranteed by section 37 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended).

“A declaration that, by virtue of regulation 2.10(a) of the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation 2019, the Respondent is liable to a fine of N10, 000, 000.

“An order mandating the Respondent pay the sum of N10, 000, 000 (Ten million Naira only), to the account of the Federal Republic of Nigeria through the Remita platform within seven days of delivery of judgement in this suit.

“Perpetual injunction restraining Respondent, its officers, agents and/or data processors from further interfering with the privacy rights of its data subject.