Trouble! Unity Bank Exposes 53000 Job Seekers Data Illegally

Unity Bank is in trouble over alleged illegal exposure of over 53,000 job seekers data and has been dragged to the Federal High Court.

TheConscience reports that the Digital Rights Lawyers Initiative have commenced a data protection action at the Federal High Court against Unity bank for personal data breach following the unauthorized exposure of over 53,000 job seekers on Unity Bank’s job portal.

In Suit No. FHC/AB/CS/85/2020, filed on Friday, August 28, 2020, the Applicant sought: “1. 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.

“1. 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(xx11) of the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation 2019.

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

“3. 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.

“4. 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 judgment in this suit.

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“5. PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining Respondent, its officers, agents and/or data processors from further interfering with the privacy rights of its data subject.”

Meanwhile, in an apparent reaction to the saga, the troubled bank on its Twitter handle said,  UnityBank wishes to reassure all customers that we take the protection of their personal information very seriously in accordance with Data Protection legislation.”