The Federal Government of Nigeria has released a code of practice ordering social media owners to remove all non-consensual content from their platforms.
In the code, the FGN noted that the likes of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp must “act expeditiously to remove, disable, or block access to non-consensual content that exposes a person’s private areas, full or partial nudity, sexual act, or revenge porn, where such content is targeted to harass, disrepute, or intimidate an individual. A Platform must acknowledge the receipt of the complaint and take down the content within 24 hours.”
The Code of Practice for Interactive Computer Service Platforms/Internet Intermediaries was released on Monday, June 13, 1022. It also outlined that these platforms must take down unlawful content after receiving complaints from a user or a government agency.
The FG asked social media owners to perform due diligence to prevent unlawful content from their platforms.
The code stipulates that these social media platforms must each have a representative in the country. In addition, platforms with 100,000 and above must also have a Nigerian office and register with the CAC (Corporate Affairs Commission).