Photo: Lai Mohammed, Information Minister
FG directs Facebook, Twitter, others to register with CAC
The Federal Government has directed that Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms in Nigeria must register with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
The government also demanded that they should always delete harmful contents posted by users of their online platforms.
This is contained in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
Hadiza Umar, NITDA spokesperson who announced the new guidelines in the statement, explained that the regulatory guidelines were designed to ensure that interaction on the digital platforms protected Nigerians and foreigners living in the country.
She said that under the new regulations, the platforms are expected to register with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and appoint a designated country representative to interface with Nigerian authorities.
Umar added that social media giants were also to comply with all regulatory demands and all applicable tax obligations on its operations under Nigerian law.
The statement reads in part:
“For moderation of content, the internet platforms are to provide a comprehensive compliance mechanism to avoid publication of prohibited contents and unethical behaviour on their platform.
“They will provide information to authorities on harmful accounts, suspected botnets, troll groups, and other coordinated disinformation networks and delete any information that violates Nigerian law within an agreed time.
“The new rules are developed in collaboration with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), as well as input from Interactive Computer Service Platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Google, and Tik Tok amongst others.”
Periscope International recalls that last year the government suspended Twitter operations in Nigeria over alleged use of the microblogging platform for unacceptable activities, a development which generated condemnation from home and abroad.
