Nollywood actress Ivie Okujaye has sparked widespread debate after sharing a video from a service apartment in which she disclosed accessing a Netflix account left logged in by a previous guest and deliberately altering its viewing algorithm to promote Nigerian films.
In the video, the actress explained that she noticed the account holder and other users on the profile did not watch Nigerian movies.
She then stated that she decided to watch several local films on the account so that foreign content would no longer dominate the recommendations.
While some viewers applauded the gesture as a creative way of pushing Nigerian content, others have raised concerns about the legality of the action.
The incident has generated mixed reactions on social media, with many questioning whether the act amounts to a breach of Nigeria’s cybercrime and data protection laws.
Legal observers note that the situation touches on issues of unauthorised access, data interference and privacy rights under existing statutes.
Under Section 6 of the Cybercrimes Act 2015, intentional access to a computer system or data without authorisation is an offence.
Legal analysts argue that a smart television connected to a Netflix account could qualify as a computer system and that accessing user profiles and content without the account owner’s consent may fall within the scope of unauthorised access.
The law prescribes penalties of up to five years imprisonment, a fine of up to five million naira, or both, with stiffer sanctions where fraudulent intent is established.
There are also questions around possible system or data interference under Section 8 of the same Act. Intentionally altering an account’s algorithm or viewing preferences without authorisation could be interpreted as modifying data or interfering with the normal operation of a digital system. This offence carries potential penalties of up to two years imprisonment, a fine of up to five million naira, or both.
Beyond cybercrime provisions, privacy concerns have also been raised.
Viewing personal information linked to an account, such as user names or family profiles, without consent may conflict with protections under Nigeria’s Data Protection Act 2023.
Legal experts note that publicly exposing or referencing such details could expose an individual to civil claims for invasion of privacy, particularly if reputational harm occurs.
The action may also breach Netflix’s terms of service, which prohibit the use of an account without the permission of the subscriber.
While such violations are typically treated as contractual matters and often result in account suspension rather than legal action, they still underscore the unauthorised nature of the access.
In addition, some observers argue that using a paid streaming service without the owner’s consent could be viewed as a form of service theft, though this is more likely to attract civil rather than criminal consequences.
Attention has also turned to the role of the service apartment or hotel involved.
If inadequate security measures allowed continued access to a previous guest’s account, questions may arise about system safeguards and user data protection, although liability would depend on the specific circumstances.
While enforcement action in cases of this nature is considered unlikely, particularly given the minor scale of the incident, the episode has reignited discussion about digital responsibility and online boundaries.
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator and a recipient of the D9112 Superstar Icon Award, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
