According to the National Information Technology Development Agency, interactive computer service platforms and Internet intermediaries must meet certain requirements to operate in Nigeria.
These terms are laid out in the recently published Code of Practice for Interactive Computer Service Platforms/Internet Intermediaries (online platforms).
According to a statement issued by the NITDA on Monday. “NITDA wishes to present to the public a Code of Practice for Interactive Computer Service Platforms/Internet Intermediaries for future review and input“, the statement said.
NITDA collaborated with the Nigerian Communications Commission and the National Broadcasting Commission to develop the Code of Practice, which included feedback from platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Google, and Tik Tok.
One of the Code of Practice’s requirements is that each online platform has a country representative who will interface with Nigerian authorities.
This means that country representatives are required on Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Google, Tik Tok, and other interactive online platforms.
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Other requirements include registering as a legal entity with the Corporate Affairs Commission, complying with tax obligations, and adhering to regulatory and legal requirements.
The Code of Practice aims to protect Nigerians’ and non-Nigerians’ fundamental human rights while also regulating interactions on online platforms.
Recall that Nigeria joined a select group of countries that place a ban on Twitter, including China, Iran, and North Korea.
Since the Federal Government prohibited micro-blogging sites, a company called ExpressVPN reported a 200 per cent surge in web traffic from Nigeria.
Recall also that the Federal Government, out of the ten conditions made to lift Twitter’s suspension, the micro-blogging and social networking platforms have agreed to seven.
President Muhammadu Buhari ordered that the ban on micro-blogging sites, Twitter, be lifted. He disclosed this in his October 1 independence anniversary speech on Friday morning.
