The Nigerian government has closed down 13.5 million social media accounts for alleged offensive content and violations of the code of practice.
This affected users of social media platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and X, formerly known as Twitter.
Tech giants Microsoft, Google, Meta, TikTok and X took the action based on the code of practice “issued jointly by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).”
This was disclosed in a statement by Hadiza Umar, Director of Corporate Communications and Media Relations at NITDA, on Wednesday.
A total of 13,597,057 social media accounts were taken down for the alleged violations.
The statement by Hajiya Hadiza Umar further noted that the government said a total of 58,909,112 offensive contents were removed from various platforms.
“We recorded 58,909,112 content takedown, 420,439 removed and re-uploaded content following appeal by users,” she said.
“There were 13,597,057 closed and deactivated accounts.”
“The compliance reports provide valuable insights into the platforms’ efforts to address user safety concerns in line with the Code of Practice and the platforms’ community guidelines,” she said.
Hajiya Umar added, “The submission of these reports marks a significant step towards fostering a safer and responsible digital environment for Nigerian users.
“It also demonstrates the platforms’ commitment to ensuring a secure and trustworthy online environment for all.
“This achievement reflects the provisions of the Code of Practice, which mandates that large service platforms are registered in Nigeria and comply with relevant laws, including the fulfilment of their tax obligation, while reinforcing the commitment to online safety for Nigerians.
“While NITDA acknowledges these commendable efforts, we emphasise that building a safer digital space requires sustained collaboration and engagement among all stakeholders.
“We remain committed to working with industry players, civil society, and regulatory partners to further strengthen user safety measures, enhance digital literacy, and promote trust and transparency in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.”
What Does the Code of Practice Say?
SaharaReporters reviewed a copy of the code of practice which was prepared by the Nigerian government and relied upon for shutting down social media accounts of Nigerians by the tech companies. The code was issued in 2022 by the Nigerian government.
Parts of the code read that social media companies must: “Act expeditiously upon receiving an Order from a Court of record directing a Platform to provide any information under its domain or any assistance to any Authorised Government Agency for the purpose of carrying out an investigation, combating cybercrimes, or prosecuting an offence.
“Act expeditiously upon receiving a notice from an Authorised Government Agency of the presence of unlawful content on its Platform. A Platform must acknowledge the receipt of the complaint and take down the content within 48 hours.
“Act expeditiously upon receiving a notice from a User of the presence of unlawful content on its Platform. A Platform must acknowledge the receipt of the complaint and take down the content as soon as reasonably practicable.
“Act expeditiously upon receiving a complaint by a User or Non-User to remove, disable, or block access to non-consensual content that exposes a person’s private areas, full or partial nudity, sexual act, deepfake, or revenge porn, where such content is targeted to harass, disrepute, or intimidate such User or non-User. A Platform must acknowledge the receipt of the complaint and take down the content within 48 hours.
“Not be held liable where it takes down unlawful content based on a substantiated notice. A notice shall be deemed substantiated where such notice from a User contains an identification of the unlawful content at issue by Uniform Resource Locators or a unique identifier. A substantiated notice from an Authorised Government Agency shall contain the following in addition to the provision above.
“Disclose the identity of the creator of information on its Platform when directed to do so by an Order from a Court of record. Provided that an order of this nature shall apply but not limited to preventing, detecting, investigating, or prosecuting an offence concerning the sovereignty and integrity of Nigeria, public order, security, diplomatic relationships, felony, incitement of an offence relating to any of the above or in relation to rape, or child sexual abuse.”
