13.5 Million Accounts Taken Down As Nigerian Compliance Code Takes Effect
By ADEYEMI ADEPETUN
A total of 13,597,057 accounts have been taken down from social media platforms following the enforcement of the Code of Practice for Interactive Computer Service Platforms and Internet Intermediaries.
This comes as the Federal Government commended efforts of social media platforms, including Google, Microsoft and TikTok, for bringing some sanity to the online space, continued compliance with the code and the submission of the 2024 compliance report.
Still, the government also called for more diligence on the part of the social media platforms to rid the space of all unwanted posts.
The code, which was issued jointly by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and the National Information and Technology Development Agency (NITDA), outlines clear guidelines for promoting online safety and managing harmful content.
The compliance reports provided valuable insights into the platforms’ efforts to address user safety concerns in line with the code of practice and the platforms’ community guidelines.
The highlight of the overall statistics across all platforms, according to a statement signed by NITDA’s Director, Corporate Communications and Media Relations Department, Hadiza Umar, revealed that there were 754,629 registered complaints, 58,909,112 contents taken down, 420,439 removed and re-uploaded following appeals by users.
NITDA said there were 13,597,057 closed and deactivated accounts.
According to the agency, the submission of these reports marked a significant step towards fostering a safer and responsible digital environment for Nigerian users. It also demonstrates the platforms’ commitment to ensuring a secure and trustworthy online environment for all.
NITDA said this achievement reflected the provisions of the code of practice, which mandates that large service platforms are registered in Nigeria and comply with relevant laws, including the fulfillment of their tax obligation, while reinforcing the commitment to online safety for Nigerians.
While NITDA acknowledged these commendable efforts, “we emphasize that building a safer digital space requires sustained collaboration and engagement among all stakeholders. We remain committed to working with industry players, civil society, and regulatory partners to strengthen user safety measures, enhance digital literacy and promote trust and transparency in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.”
Earlier in the year, Google announced that in its newly released 2024 Ads Safety Report, 5.1 billion ads were blocked or removed, 9.1 billion restricted and over 39 million advertiser accounts suspended, with much of this done through AI-driven detection systems.
General Manager for Ads Safety at Google, Alex Rodriguez, said: “At the heart of this progress is artificial intelligence. We launched over 50 enhancements to our AI models in 2024 alone, which helped us move faster, identify threats earlier, and take action before bad actors could reach users. That’s the real power of AI, making the internet safer not just reactively, but proactively.”
Also, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, stepped up its efforts to clean up the platform, announcing the removal of over 10 million fake profiles and 500,000 spam accounts in the first half of 2025.
The company said the action forms part of a broader crackdown on impersonation, copycat content, and fake engagement, all aimed at promoting originality and ensuring that genuine creators receive greater visibility.
According to Meta, the clampdown also targets accounts that recycle or repost content from others without permission or meaningful changes. Such accounts will not only lose access to monetisation tools but will also see their content reach reduced on Facebook feeds.
(The Guardian)
