A major legal showdown is unfolding at the High Court in Accra, where Faustina Djagbele Abbey, a local onion seller at Makola Market, has filed a GH¢2 million lawsuit against telecom giant Telecel Ghana.
Represented by Bernard Owiredu Donkor of Thompson Law Consult, Madam Abbey accuses Telecel of violating her privacy and personal liberties by using her image—without consent—in advertisements for its ‘Telecel Red Save’ product.
Filed on May 23, 2025, the suit claims her likeness was used across social media, billboards, and other marketing platforms in clear breach of Ghana’s Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843), which requires explicit consent for the processing and commercial use of personal data.
According to her statement of claim, Abbey only became aware of the widespread use of her image after customers and acquaintances began to recognise her in Telecel’s campaigns, falsely assuming she was financially affiliated with the company.
This misconception, she says, has created social tensions, psychological stress, and damaged personal relationships.
The lawsuit not only demands financial compensation but also calls for the immediate removal of all related promotional materials.
