One of the most modern inventions of financial technology (FinTech) since after the global financial crisis of 2008 is the crypto or virtual currency/asset. Since the creation of the first cryptocurrency, the Bitcoin, in 2009, it is estimated that over five thousand variants of the Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have emerged. Virtual currencies have become widespread across the globe but their legal status and uses in various countries have remained uncertain. They have been variously classified as currencies, securities, properties, assets, commodities and tokens, and used as means of exchange but are not legally recognised as legal tender. In many jurisdictions their emergence was greeted with scepticism and express or tacit rejection by financial and securities markets regulators, but over time, owing to their increasing popularity, characteristics, positive and negative potentials, there has been a gradual shift towards their formal recognition and regulation. Regulatory authorities in many countries are now grappling with designing appropriate policy and regulatory framework for the crypto phenomenon. This paper interrogates the current legal status and efforts to regulate cryptocurrencies in two leading African nations, Nigeria and South Africa, and highlights the challenges of designing an appropriate regulatory framework for this enigmatic technology. The paper adopts the doctrinal legal research methodology, employing the descriptive, analytical, and comparative approaches. It follows a structured review and analysis of relevant extant legislation on currencies and securities in the countries to ascertain whether they cover cryptocurrencies. It then compares the current position of the law on the subject in the two countries. Bearing in mind that it may not be possible to totally ban dealing in cryptocurrencies, the paper concludes that regulation has become imperative. Drawing from the position on the subject in more developed nations, the United States of America (US) and the European Union (EU), this paper proposes a model of regulation of virtual currency not only for Nigeria and South Africa but also for other African countries.
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to make a case for the recognition of privacy and personal data protection as species of consumer rights in Nigeria in line with the revised United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection (UNGCP) by amending existing laws or enacting a new law to provide for personal data protection regime for consumers.
Methodology/Approach/Design – The study follows a structured review of relevant extant legislation on consumer protection and personal data protection, namely the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 (FCCPA) and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation 2019 (NDPR).
Findings – The paper identifies that the provisions of Nigeria’s foremost consumer protection legislation, FCCPA, does cover electronic commerce (e-commerce) or consumer privacy and personal data protection while the NDPR, subsidiary legislation on personal data protection, which is yet to be effectively implemented is too general as to provide the consumers the much-needed privacy protection in their dealings with businesses.
Practical Implications–Given the importance Recognition of data privacy and personal data protection as a species of consumer rights helps in understanding consumer protection in online transactions and opens opportunities for future research on consumer privacy and data protection.
Originality/Value – Given the importance attached to the protection of consumer privacy and the various ramifications of transactions involving exposure of consumers’ personal data, recognition of privacy consumers’ rights to privacy is vital in consolidating knowledge of consumer rights and identifying paths for future research.
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