Nigeria's Internet Regulator Releases Draft To Regulate Google, Facebook, TikTok and Others

Nigeria has announced plans to regulate internet companies like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram (all owned by Meta), Twitter, Google and TikTok in a draft shared by the country's internet regulator. From a report: This information, released by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) on Monday, can be viewed on its website and Twitter page. Just six months ago, Nigeria lifted the ban on Twitter, six months after it first declared a crackdown on the social media giant in the country. According to a memo written by Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, the director-general of NITDA to Nigeria's president, Muhammadu Buhari, at the time, one of the three conditions Twitter agreed to -- for its reinstatement -- was setting up "a legal entity in Nigeria during the first quarter of 2022." The others included paying taxes locally and cooperating with the Nigerian government to regulate content and harmful tweets. We're halfway through the year, and it appears that none of the conditions has been met yet. But that hasn't stopped the government from forging ahead to extend these requirements to other internet companies: Meta-owned platforms, Twitter and Google.

Less 419 scams on social media?

[Anonymous Coward]

Unless bigger markets follow suit with similar rules, this is just going to be a "we are pulling out of Nigeria" situation.

Re:Less 419 scams on social media?

[rsiIvergun]

Is that a bad thing though? It is probably better if the Nigerians can live in peace rather than being pestered with inane videos and political programming on the social media networks. There is much to be said about purity of essence.

Re:

[youngone]

The bit where Twitter (and everyone else) pays tax in the country where they made the income seems like the sort of thing everyone should do.

If Twitter or Facebook or whoever decide to take their ball and go home I would probably get over it.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

...If Twitter or Facebook or whoever decide to take their ball and go home I would probably get over it.

Easy for you to say, Elder "young" one. You probably remember a time when humans actually survived and even thrived without internet.

For the rest of the addicts out there, it's a bit harder than that since they've never come off the teat.

Re:

[ShanghaiBill]

Requiring the tech companies to pay local taxes is reasonable.

The rest of the regulations are not. The goal is censorship and government control of content and banning "harmful" discussions, like criticism of the president.

Re:

[GoTeam]

It's never a good thing when the government gets to decided what you can and can't read/see/learn. Government is pretty good at deciding what's best for the current politicians in government. The funny thing is they like to tell you whats best for you. If you disagree...

Re:Less 419 scams on social media?

[drinkypoo]

Sure, the people of Nigeria can go back to the times before social media, when their princes tried eagerly to contact people whom they for some reason desperately needed to shower with cash.

Re:

[drinkypoo]

Dude nobody in the USA is getting paid to troll Slashdolts

Re:

[Local ID10T]

There is much to be said about purity of essence.

And it was said by General Jack D Ripper in Dr Strangelove....

Re:

[brunoblack]

Unless bigger markets follow suit with similar rules, this is just going to be a "we are pulling out of Nigeria" situation.

According to the latest news I have been made aware of, bigger markets are already following suit. IMHO it's an encouraging sign for humanity.

Re:

[ShanghaiBill]

Most 419 scams do not originate in Nigeria. That "Nigerian" prince you are corresponding with is likely not Nigerian.

Skeptical people are a waste of time for scammers. They respond, talk with a human, grow more skeptical, and then disconnect, leaving the scammer with nothing.

So scammers claim to be Nigerian because Nigeria is so well known as a source of scams that only the most gullible marks will respond, and the scammers can concentrate on scamming only the stupidest of the stupid.

Re:

[jrumney]

Not less, the government just wants to take its cut.

Re: Less 419 scams on social media?

[EasySteam]

Bigger markets? Maybe not by GDP. But Nigeria still has 216 million people..

And then there's virtue signaling.. once politicians see other politicians passing new laws they'll all want to go on the band wagon...

Re:

[AmiMoJo]

They won't pull out of Nigeria, it's too valuable. It's one of Africa's leading economies and a gateway to the whole continent. It's a very large and under-exploited market for tech companies.

If Apple and Microsoft are willing to operate in China, whatever Nigeria wants won't deter them or many other tech companies. Google is the only one that doesn't operate in China so they are the ones to watch here.

lmfao

[lsllll]

Nigeria is looking to regulate tech giants. Nigeria! Man, are we behind times.

Re:

[RitchCraft]

Nigerian Prince's fathers must be rolling over in their graves!

Fees and fines

[systemd-anonymousd]

Seems a bit odd that the regulatory fines can only be paid with Google Play cards, but I guess it makes sense

Re:

[tlhIngan]

Seems a bit odd that the regulatory fines can only be paid with Google Play cards, but I guess it makes sense

And now we find out the REAL reason why everyone hates the 30% cut Apple and Google take. It really sucks when paying your fines with App Store or Play Store gift cards because the government loses out on that 30%.

Re:

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

You don't the jurisdiction, authority or the power

Yeah but at least they verbs in their sentences.

Re: Oh look another nobody trying to control

[LordWabbit2]

Of course they do, they can just block twitter et al from the entire country. They are regulating twitter INSIDE their own country, they have every right and its their jurisdiction. What you have no authority or jurisdiction over, is telling another sovereign nation what it should do or allow in its own country.

Re:

[v1]

There are three kinds of falsehood: the first is a 'fib,' the second is a downright lie, and the third is statistics.

And there are three kinds of truth: Your truth, Our truth, and The truth.

Re:

[Local ID10T]

Of course they do, they can just block twitter et al from the entire country. They are regulating twitter INSIDE their own country, they have every right and its their jurisdiction. What you have no authority or jurisdiction over, is telling another sovereign nation what it should do or allow in its own country.

Incorrect. Twitter is not located in their country. Twitter is accessed by citizens within their country. The distinction is important.

They have the power and authority to block their citizens from accessing Twitter, or to instruct their citizens as to what they may post/read on Twitter.

They have no authority to tell Twitter what to do or not do. Twitter is a US corporation, which places it under US jurisdiction. They can only ask Twitter to do something. Twitter is not under any obligation to comply.

Huh ?

[hebertrich]

Is that a new Nigerian rich prince type scam to extort the companies ? o.0 ? :D :D :D

just askin'

Haha

[groobly]

More like google needs to regulate nigeria.

Those local office requirements are ludicrous...

[SvnLyrBrto]

After Brazil's shenanigans harassing and arresting that Facebook sales exec over something or another that went on in the company's WhatsApp business unit, over which he had no control or authority; no tech company is going to send anyone with any real power or import to staff those offices and be held hostage by the local penny-ante crooks when they get their panties in a wad over what someone somewhere said about them. They're just going to hire locals, give them even less access and authority than the F