‘We’ve no reason to steal your data,’ MTN replies customers

The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana, Stephen Blewett, has dismissed accusations that the telecom operator steals customer data, a persistent complaint he says he’s faced in every market during his career, MyJoyOnline, Ghanaian online news portal, reported on Wednesday.

His comments come as a wave of similar concerns sweeps through Nigeria, where subscribers are also pointing fingers at the country’s largest telco, with over 80 million users, and other operators for what they claim is the unfair depletion of their data.

It was reported on Tuesday that customers have flooded the Nigerian Communications Commission and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission with emails and messages, demanding a probe into unexplained data consumption.

The operators who spoke on the matter denied any system to siphon data, blaming increased usage on shifts from 3G and 4G to 5G networks and heavier video streaming.

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At MTN House in Accra, Blewett addressed the widespread belief that data vanishes due to deliberate tampering.

“I’ve heard ‘You’re stealing my data’ in every country I’ve worked—not just at MTN,” he said, reflecting on his long industry tenure, adding, “I swear to God as my witness: we have no reason to steal your data.”

Blewett argued that there’s no financial incentive for such actions, noting his bonus depends on declared revenue.

“If I steal data, I can’t report it—I’d lose my bonus,” he said, seeking to dispel notions of profit-driven manipulation by MTN or its peers.

He attributed rapid data depletion to enhanced networks, not foul play.

“A better network speeds up data use,” he explained.

“YouTube switches to higher resolution on stronger signals—it’s like Pac-Man eating your data. We don’t control that,” he added.

To build trust, Blewett highlighted MTN’s oversight mechanisms. “We’re independently audited—billing errors would fail our financials,” he said, adding that an internal revenue assurance team constantly checks for discrepancies to ensure compliance and accuracy.

“We don’t want revenue leaks or incorrect billing,” he stressed, underscoring MTN’s commitment to transparency amid customer frustration over vanishing data.