MTN Nigeria has blamed TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp and other smartphone applications for the rapid depletion of subscribers’ internet data, insisting that the company does not deliberately deduct customers’ data.
The telecommunications giant said many Nigerians unknowingly burn through their data bundles because of high-resolution videos, automatic media downloads, background applications and cloud backups that continue consuming data even when users are not actively browsing.
Mike Ndukwe, MTN Nigeria’s General Manager of Network Performance, made the clarification at a forum tagged Data on Trial in Abuja on Monday, held on the sidelines of the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit.
Ndukwe acknowledged subscribers’ frustration over the cost of internet access but maintained that data consumption was largely influenced by users’ online activities and smartphone settings.
He rejected allegations of deliberate data theft, arguing that data depletion generally results from activities initiated by subscribers or their devices.
According to him, popular social media platforms consume different amounts of data depending on video quality, automatic playback and download settings.
He explained that watching a 15-second TikTok video could consume between two and 20 megabytes, depending on its resolution.
High-definition videos, he added, consume considerably more data than standard-definition content.
Ndukwe also identified WhatsApp as another potential source of unexpected data depletion, particularly when users allow the application to automatically download photographs, videos and other media files.
Although ordinary text messages consume relatively little data, frequent status viewing, videos and activity in busy group chats can quickly increase consumption.
He urged subscribers to review their WhatsApp settings and disable automatic downloads where necessary.
The MTN executive disclosed that WhatsApp had approximately 45 million users in Nigeria, while TikTok remained among the platforms generating substantial data traffic.
He also cited figures showing that data consumption had increased by approximately 43 per cent year-on-year, reflecting growing demand for internet services.
MTN Nigeria’s General Manager of IT Operations, David Ogunsola, offered another explanation for complaints about disappearing data, pointing to differences between figures displayed on smartphones and those recorded by telecommunications networks.
According to Ogunsola, device measurements, background traffic, session timing and rounding methods could produce discrepancies between the data consumers believe they have used and the amount recorded for charging purposes.
He said such differences could range from two per cent to approximately 12 per cent in some circumstances.
Ogunsola explained that network technology, whether 3G or 4G, primarily affects how quickly users can carry out online activities, while the content they access and its quality determine the volume of data consumed.
MTN Chief Executive Officer Karl Toriola also defended the cost of providing telecommunications services in Nigeria, citing electricity, transportation and the expenses involved in powering and maintaining network sites.
He argued that operators face significant operating costs despite deploying telecommunications equipment comparable to that used in Europe and the United States.
The company said it was intensifying consumer education to help subscribers understand data consumption and make better use of smartphone settings.
However, MTN’s explanation comes amid persistent complaints from Nigerians who say their data subscriptions disappear faster than expected, with many subscribers demanding greater transparency from telecommunications operators over data deductions and billing.
While the company has blamed usage patterns and device settings, the explanations are unlikely to end the debate without clearer ways for customers to independently verify their data consumption.
