The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr Aminu Maida, has expressed the commission’s commitment to combating digital violence in the country.
The EVC stated this recently in his speech at the 2023 World Day for safety of journalists on “Mitigating Increasing Online Violence Against Journalists” organised by Media Centre for Promotion of Safety Awareness held in Lagos.
According to him, “Digital violence takes many forms, from online harassment and cyberbullying to the spread of misinformation and hate speech. It has the potential to cause profound harm, not just to individuals but to society.
“Journalists have the responsibility to shed light on these issues, to uncover the truth, and to hold those who perpetrate digital violence accountable.
“At NCC, our mission has always been to ensure that communication networks in Nigeria are secure, reliable and accessible to all.
“We understand the importance of privacy in the digital age and are committed to upholding the rights of every Nigerian, hence our regulatory activities are carried out in a way that ensures that citizens are not exposed to online violence, which applies to journalists as well”.
The Commission, he said, has taken significant steps in its efforts to combat digital violence, such as collaborating with the relevant sister agencies to ensure the implementation of extant legislations that protect Nigerians online.
He debunked rumours that the commission tracks phone conversations of Nigerians.
“We do not engage in the tracking of phone conversations. Privacy is a fundamental right, and we take it as our responsibility to protect privacy of individuals,” he added.
Some other initiatives he said NCC has implemented to tame digital violence include Child Online Protection.
“The internet is an indispensable part of their lives, but it can also expose them to dangers. To address this, the NCC has partnered with various organisations to implement comprehensive child online protection programmes. Through education, awareness campaigns, and collaborations with schools and parents, we aim to create a safer online environment for our young ones,” he noted.
Maida, however, reiterated the commitment of the commission to cyber security.
“The Commission set up the Nigerian Communications Commission’s Computer Security Incident Response Team (NCC-CSIRT), which plays a crucial role in addressing cyber threats.
“The CSIRT’s dedicated professionals work tirelessly to identify and mitigate cyber-attacks, ensuring the security of our digital infrastructure.
“I urge journalists to leverage the regular advisories issued by the team to safeguard themselves in the digital space,” he added.
Acknowledging the challenges in combatting digital violence, he stated that digital landscape is vast and constantly evolving, making it difficult to stay ahead of malicious actors.
“Jurisdiction for policing the space is spread among several agencies, hence the need for collaboration to effectively halt the unwholesome activities of online threat actors. We therefore believe in the power of collaboration to overcome these challenges.
“As a result, we have initiated partnerships with industry stakeholders, government agencies, and civil society organisations to create a united front against digital violence. Together, we are developing strategies, sharing intelligence, and implementing joint initiatives to protect our digital space,” he stated.
He stated the resolve of the commission to focus on key areas to stem the tide of digital violence through education and awareness.
“Education is the first line of defense. We must empower our citizens with the knowledge and tools to stay safe online. The NCC will continue to invest in awareness campaigns and educational programmes.
“A robust legal framework is also essential to hold digital offenders accountable. We are working closely with lawmakers to ensure our laws are equipped to address the ever-evolving challenges of digital violence.
“In addition, empowering our citizens to report digital violence is paramount. We have established channels for reporting and encourage everyone to use them. Let me share a success story- a recent case where a citizen reported a phishing attack to our CSIRT team, leading to the identification and neutralisation of a cybercriminal network,” he said.
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