A Nigerian court says Truecaller’s consent doesn’t cover the data in your contacts
Truecaller cannot use one person’s consent to justify processing another person’s phone number, a Lagos High Court has ruled. But the same court declined to award damages, exposing a gap in Nigeria’s privacy laws: what happens when your data is used without permission but you cannot prove measurable harm?
A Nigerian court has ruled that a user's consent to share their phonebook with a digital service like Truecaller does not automatically grant permission to process the personal data of individuals in that contact list who have not used the app. In a September 14, 2026 ruling, the Lagos High Court stated that Truecaller cannot rely on a user's consent to process the phone numbers of people in their contacts who never used the app.
However, the court also denied damages to the affected individuals, creating a gap in Nigeria's privacy regime. The decision highlights the complex issue of obtaining lawful consent when digital platforms use contact lists, and raises questions about the remedies available to individuals whose personal information is used without their knowledge, but the harm is difficult to quantify.
Brief written by urgent.news from TechCabal's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
