Main tech corporations, together with Google, X, Microsoft, and TikTok, have eliminated greater than 65 million items of content material from their platforms in Nigeria following consumer complaints, in response to a report by the Nationwide Data Expertise Growth Company.
NITDA’s Director of Company Communications & Media Relations, Mrs Hadiza Umar, disclosed this in a press assertion on Tuesday.
The info is part of the 2023 compliance report on the Code of Follow for Interactive Laptop Service Platforms and Web Intermediaries, which highlights the businesses’ efforts to fulfill Nigeria’s regulatory necessities for managing sure on-line content material.
The Code, collectively issued by NITDA, the Nigerian Communications Fee, and the Nationwide Broadcasting Fee, units clear tips for selling on-line security and curbing the unfold of dangerous materials throughout digital platforms.
In line with the assertion, the NITDA report exhibits that, in complete, 65,853,581 items of content material had been taken down throughout the 4 platforms after being flagged by customers.
Additionally, 4,125,283 complaints had been lodged by Nigerian customers concerning dangerous content material, resulting in the deactivation of over 12 million consumer accounts and the removing of offending materials.
An extra 379,433 items of content material had been re-uploaded following profitable consumer appeals, indicating that the platforms are attentive to considerations and supply avenues for content material evaluation.
According to the rising significance of digital security, NITDA counseled the platforms for adhering to the Code of Follow, which goals to create a safer and extra accountable on-line setting for Nigerians.
It said, “The Nationwide Data Expertise Growth Company has counseled Google, X, Microsoft, and TikTok for his or her compliance with the Code of Follow for Interactive Laptop Service Platforms/Web Intermediaries. The Code which was issued collectively by the Nigerian Communications Fee, Nationwide Broadcasting Fee, and NITDA outlines clear tips for selling on-line security and managing dangerous content material.
“The 2023 compliance report offers precious perception into the platform’s efforts to handle consumer security considerations in keeping with the Code of Follow and the platforms’ group tips. The spotlight of the general statistics throughout all of the platforms contains the next:
“4 million, 100 and twenty-five thousand, 200 and eighty-three (4,125,283) registered complaints.
“Sixty-five million, eight hundred and fifty-three thousand, 5 hundred and eighty-one (65,853,581) content material takedown.
“300 and seventy-nine thousand, 4 hundred and thirty-three (379,433) eliminated and re-uploaded content material following an enchantment by customers.
“Twelve million, ninety-nine thousand, 600 and thirty-three (12,099,633) closed and deactivated accounts.”
The assertion additionally famous that the information from the Federal Inland Income Service and the Nationwide Bureau of Statistics revealed that international digital corporations, together with social media platforms, contributed over N2.55tn (roughly $1.5bn) in taxes through the first half of 2024, reflecting the rising financial impression of the sector.
Whereas acknowledging the progress made, NITDA urged continued collaboration between tech corporations and regulators to handle rising digital challenges, notably in content material moderation, consumer security, and transparency.