Lecturer Cashes Out As Bolt Loses Identity Theft Case

• Bolt has been ordered to pay GH₵1.9 million as compensation to a lawyer who accused the company of negligence
• The lecturer, Justice Adade, had discovered that his employee had stolen his identity and was using it on Bolt as a driver
• Justice Adade said he was traumatised by the event and sought legal redress from the court

A Ghanaian lecturer has won a legal battle against the data processor for the ride-hailing app Bolt after discovering that his identity was being used against his will.

In August 2022, the lecturer, Justice Noah Adade, also the Chief Executive Officer of a software solutions company, ordered a Bolt ride on his phone only to discover that the driver to pick him up was using his image and details.

Upon arrival, Justice discovered that the vehicle's driver was his employee, Peter Walker. He later admitted to stealing the lecturer’s identity and using his details to register as a driver on the app.

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3News.com reported that the lecturer took the matter to court, accusing Bolt of failing to verify the driver’s identity, thus aiding the theft of his identity.

Adentan court faults Bolt for negligence

An Adentan court presided over by Her Honour Sedinam Awo Kwadam found that Bolt failed to undertake a liveliness identity verification check when registering prospective drivers as Ghana’s Data Protection Act required.

Their failure had amounted to a breach of its duty of care to the victim in the case.

The court also stated that Bolt had not complied with Section 20 of the Data Protection Act, which prohibits data processors from processing personal data without the subject's explicit consent.

According to the court, Bolt's failure left Justice Adade traumatised and distressed, uncertain how long his employee had been using his details on the app.

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The court said Bolt’s negligence had caused the subject reputational damage and forced him to expend resources to seek legal redress.

The court dismissed Bolt’s argument that it had been diligent and took reasonable care in registering prospective drivers.

The court also rubbished Bolt’s claim that the lecturer may have conspired with his employee in the identity theft with the purpose of milking Bolt.

The court’s verdict

Bolt’s data processor, Bolt Holdings Ou, has been ordered to compensate the lecturer GH₵1.9 million.

The company is to pay an additional GH₵20,000 to the lecturer as the cost of his legal fees.

Meanwhile, the Data Protection Commission has been directed to conduct a forensic audit of Bolt’s systems and database to authenticate its drivers' identity until March 2024.

Other ride-hailing apps operational in Ghana are also expected to undergo this exercise.

Woman shares harrowing ordeal with Bolt driver

YEN.com.gh reported that a Ghanaian Bolt passenger, Jackie, shared a harrowing experience when a driver threatened her over a fare discrepancy.

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The driver allegedly failed to end the trip, charged Jackie more than the actual fare, and locked the doors, threatening her.

Despite reporting the incident, Bolt's response was a mere GH¢10 discount on Jackie's next ride, sparking concerns about the platform's handling of safety issues.

Proofread by Berlinda Entsie, journalist and copy editor at YEN.com.gh

Source: YEN.com.gh