The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) on Tuesday announced it has opened an investigation into Chinese e-commerce titan Temu for allegedly violating Nigeria’s data protection laws.
NDPC said Temu was suspected of conducting unlawful online surveillance of its customers, handling their data improperly, transferring the data of Nigerian citizens out of the country, and violating data minimization requirements.
Sources in the NDPC explained to the Daily Trust of Nigeria that Temu’s app might gain access to far more user data than the basic information required to purchase and ship products, thus violating Nigerian requirements for apps to “minimize” the amount of personal data they examine.
“If a platform asks for ‘Point A’ but records ‘Points B through Z’, it violates the principle of data minimization,” said one senior NDPC staffer.
“Nigerian users have the right to know exactly how their data is being used, who it is being shared with, and how long it will be stored. Accountability ensures that if a breach occurs, there is a clear trail of responsibility,” said another.
The second NDPC staffer said the agency is investigating whether Temu’s privacy policies were “buried under layers of complex legal jargon,” making it difficult for consumers to know how much of their information the Temu app was accessing.
Temu came to Nigeria in late 2024 with a huge marketing push across social media, briefly becoming one of the most heavily downloaded apps in the country. Temu proved immediately popular with younger Nigerians, who were enthusiastic smartphone users and eager to sample the low-cost goods sold by China’s e-commerce giant.
According to the NDPC, Temu holds data on about 12.7 million Nigerians. The company has about 70 million daily users of its online shopping app worldwide. Temu has been available to American shoppers since 2022.
Several state governments in the United States have accused Temu of data protection violations similar to those investigated by Nigeria. In December, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes filed a major lawsuit against Temu in Maricopa County, accusing the Chinese company of misleading its users and harvesting their data.
“Arizonans should be aware that behind Temu’s low prices and shiny advertising, there is real danger. The Temu app can infect users’ devices with malware to steal their private data while carefully hiding its tracks,” Mayes said.
The Arizona suit charged Temu with doing exactly what Nigeria’s NDPC is investigating it for: tricking users into giving it permission to access the location of their smartphone, data from other apps on the phone, photos, videos, and even their cellular and wi-fi usage information.
“Over time, location data reveals private living patterns of Temu users, including where they work, where they reside, where they go to school, and when they are at each of these locations. Location data, either standing alone, or combined with other information, exposes deeply private and personal information about Temu users’ health, religion, politics and intimate relationships,” Mayes said.
In May 2025, South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission (FTC) fined Temu about $978,000 for making undisclosed transfers of user information to third-party businesses in other countries, including China. The South Korean regulator also criticized Temu for making it extremely difficult for users to uninstall its software or cancel their registrations.
Temu has also been investigated in the United States, Europe, and South Korea for deceptive advertising and unfair business practices, including copyright violations, poor quality goods, concealing the sourcing of its goods, and failing to deliver shipments after payment.
Most disturbingly, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party published a report in June 2023 called Fast Fashion and the Uyghur Genocide that found an “extremely high risk that Temu’s supply chains are contaminated with forced labor” from the oppressed Uyghur Muslims of occupied East Turkistan, which the Chinese Communist Party refers to by the colonialist name “Xinjiang.”
Temu and its rival Chinese e-commerce giant Shein were found to be using small shipments that slipped beneath the “de minimus” exemption threshold for many U.S. customs laws, including the Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act (UFLPA).
“This all but guarantees that shipments from Temu containing products made with forced labor are entering the United States on a regular basis, in violation of the UFLPA,” the House report concluded.
Temu issued a statement on Tuesday promising to cooperate with Nigerian regulators.
“At Temu, protecting user privacy and data security is a top priority. We are committed to complying with applicable laws and regulations in our data practices. We will continue to engage in open and constructive dialogue with the NDPC to address any questions or concerns,” the company said.