By Ogochukwu Isioma
Effective from May 31, 2023, in Nigeria, online lending apps on Google Play Store will no longer be able to access their users’ contacts or photos.
This was disclosed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), an agency of the Nigeria’s federal government.
According to the FCCPC, the latest policy is in line with the government’s efforts to prevent loan apps, otherwise known as ‘online sharks’, from invading customers’ privacy.
It comes days after the FCCPC on April 4, announced that it has registered 173 digital lending applications. Companies without approvals will not be able to operate in Nigeria.
The move by the FCCPC comes after years of harassment and cyberbullying that some loan app companies have reportedly unleashed on Nigerians.
Google, in its April 2023 policy updates, stated that the new policy would provide respite for loan app users in Nigeria where crude loan retrieval methods have become commonplace.
The new policy prohibits loan apps from accessing user’s personal contacts or photos stored on such user’s devices (such as mobile phones).
In November, Google declared updates to its Developer Program Policy, which mandated that digital money lenders in Nigeria, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Kenya must conform to regulatory rules.
Meanwhile, loan apps without the FCCPC’s approval will be removed from Play Store by Google and unavailable for download.
