CBN Regulations specify that banks and other financial institutions must identify their customers and obtain information about their social media handles. These sections contain similar provisions that are deemed unlawful by SERAP.
By Johnson Atoukudu:
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on Mr. Folashodun Shonubi, the Acting Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to immediately remove the clearly illegal clauses found in the Central Bank of Nigeria (Customer Due Diligence) Regulations. These regulations instruct banks to collect customers’ social media handles for identification purposes.
SERAP also urged Mr. Shonubi to retract Circular number FPR/DIR/PUB/CIR/007/076 dated 20 June 2023, which mandates banks and other financial institutions to enforce the illegal mandatory requirements concerning customers’ social media handles as stated in the CBN Regulations.
Section 6(a)(iv) and Section 6(b)(iii) of the CBN Regulations specify that banks and other financial institutions must identify their customers and obtain information about their social media handles. These sections contain similar provisions that are deemed unlawful by SERAP.
In the letter dated June 24, 2023 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “The CBN Regulations and directive to banks to obtain details of customers’ social media address violate Nigerians’ rights to freedom of expression and privacy. It is inconsistent and incompatible with the rule of law.
“The CBN ought to contribute to the advancement of respect for the rule of law and human rights in the discharge of its statutory functions, and not undermine or violate these fundamental legal requirements and standards.
“The purported mandatory requirement would inhibit Nigerians from freely exercising their human rights online. If obtained, such information may also be misused for political and other unlawful purposes.”
SERAP said it “would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 3 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel you and the CBN to comply with our request in the public interest.”
It expressed concerns that the “CBN Regulations and directive to banks and other financial institutions would impermissibly restrict the constitutional and international rights to freedom of expression, privacy and victims’ right to justice and effective remedies”.
It further said, “Requiring social media handles or addresses of customers as a means of identification would have a disproportionate chilling effect on the effective enjoyment by Nigerians of their rights to freedom of expression and privacy online.
“The CBN bears the burden of justifying any restriction on people’s freedom of expression and privacy. Under the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and human rights treaties to which the country is a state party, any restrictions on these rights must be applied strictly so that the rights are not put in jeopardy.
“There are other means of identification such as passport, driver’s licence, Bank Verification Number (BVN), and Tax Identification Number (TIN), which banks and other financial institutions already require their customers to provide.”
“The additional requirement of obtaining details of a customer’s social media handle or address fails to meet the requirements of legality, necessity, and proportionality.”
SERAP said the CBN failed to show how “details of customers’ social media handles or addresses would assist banks and other financial institutions to effectively implement and comply with the laws and regulations relating to customer due diligence”.
