NITDA’s code of practice for online platforms and national security

IN a bid to ensure that sanity is maintained in Nigeria’s internet circuit, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), recently unveiled a Code of Practice for Online Platforms.

The move is aimed at regulating the online platforms’ mode of operations to checkmate the eruption of any sort of crisis in the nation’s ICT sector.

The Code of Practice was developed in collaboration with relevant stakeholders in the industry, including the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), as well as input from Interactive Computer Service Platforms (also known as Tech Giants) such as Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Google, and Tik Tok amongst others.

With rising technological advancement together with the internet, the media has now turned the world into a village where news and information can be transmitted to a large heterogeneous society within the shortest possible time.

Making this feat available is the emergence of online social media platforms (such as Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit etc.). The aforementioned social media platforms have made it feasible for information to be disseminated without impediments.

While tapping from the benefits and dividends brought about by these Tech Giants platforms, stakeholders and regulators should not be unmindful of the negative effects associated with their unrestricted activities, especially in a multicultural society like Nigeria which is segmented along religious, ethnic and regional divides.

Over the years, online social media platforms in Nigeria have been utilized as a perfect avenue for disseminating dangerous information capable of compromising national security, which threatened the existence of the country as a corporate entity.

Promoting this ugly trend among the citizens is the lack of proper mechanism or legal framework by the government or any other institutions to oversee and regulate the conduct and affairs of these international Tech Giants.

• Mukhtar Ya’u Madobi, Kano

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, with the novel NITDA’s code of Practice, it is apt to say that the situation is on course to change for a better narrative.

It is worrisome to learn that our public space is continuously being polluted on a daily basis with unwholesome contents capable of heating up the polity. These include but not limited to hate speeches, fake news, misinformation and disinformation and a host of others.

Agitators and other ethno-religious bigots have been utilising social media handles for their vicious campaigns capable of inciting genocidal violence in Nigeria. It is on this note that last year, the Federal Government was left with no other choice than banning the operations of micro-blogging site, i.e. Twitter due to their prominent role in transmitting ‘dangerous contents’ with potential to distort public peace and security of Nigeria.

Therefore, it is not surprising on why recently there is unacceptable spate in the incidents of mob justices in our societies. At the event of this heinous act, an accused person will be lynched and equally set ablaze while the footage will go viral on social media for other callous and senseless mob in another location to watch and later serve as blueprint for them in conducting similar episode.

Therefore, this Code of Practice instituted by NITDA has sets out procedures to safeguard the security and welfare of Nigerians while interacting on these Platforms. It aims to demand accountability from Online Platforms regarding unlawful and harmful contents on their Platforms. Furthermore, it establishes a robust framework for collaborative efforts to protect Nigerians against online harms, such as hate speech, cyber-bullying, as well as disinformation and/or misinformation.

This intervention by NITDA is timely especially with the approach of 2023 general elections where the social media will be heavily utilized for electioneering campaigns of politicians. Because, it will go a long way in restricting the appearance of contents capable of heating up the polity.

NITDA has no doubt performed a wonderful job for coming up with this sets of standard procedures especially after due consultations with the affected Online Platforms and other stakeholders and agencies in the industry.