The global push to safeguard personal privacy in the age of artificial intelligence has gained fresh momentum, with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) aligning itself with 60 other Data Protection Authorities (DPAs) worldwide to endorse the “Joint Statement on AI-Generated Imagery and the Protection of Privacy.”
Coordinated by the International Enforcement Cooperation Working Group (IEWG) of the Global Privacy Assembly, the joint statement signals a coordinated regulatory response to the mounting risks posed by artificial intelligence systems capable of producing highly realistic images and videos of identifiable individuals.
The Joint Statement highlights concerns over the misuse of AI-powered tools to create non-consensual imagery, defamatory content, and other harmful materials, particularly affecting children and vulnerable groups.
It calls on organisations to implement strong safeguards, ensure transparency, provide effective content removal mechanisms, and comply fully with applicable data protection laws.
The current effort forms part of a continuum of steps being taken by Nigeria to ensure the responsible use of AI.
It will be recalled that the Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, led the initiative for the development of the National AI Strategy.
The NDPC also issued the General Application and Implementation Directive (GAID), which, amongst others, mandates privacy by design and privacy by default in the development and deployment of AI tools.
The National Commissioner/CEO of the NDPC, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, has directed that the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDP Act) Compliance Audit Returns (CAR) by data controllers and processors of major importance will serve as a yardstick for monitoring and evaluating the responsible use of AI for data processing in Nigeria.
