What does new media have to do with the cybercrime act hosted by the NCC

Amongst the many organizations that have so far showcased themselves at this year's edition of the Social Media Week Lagos, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have not been left out.

The EVC/CEO of the NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta was represented by an executive official of the Commission, Mr. Tony Ojobo, who emphasized the Commissions mission at the Social Media Week Lagos as a move to sensitize the public on the Cybercrime Act of 2015.

According to Mr. Ojobo, a special social media unit was created by the EVC to publish the activities of the NCC online on social media as part of the Commission's drive to sensitize the public on the Act.

Responding to reports that the NCC was planning to regulate platforms such as WhatsApp, Viber and so on, Ojobo stated that traditional telephony are under threat from OTT operators according to a report from a stakeholders event held in Gabon in 2015.

He further added that the report recommended that telecoms operators innovate and develop business models that will enable them compete favorably, allaying fears that the Commisssion was indeed considering regulation of the platforms.

Panelists on the NCC showcase, which was themed What Does New Media Have To Do With The Cybercrimes Act, stated that crimes can be committed by people who go to organizations and use the network of those organizations to commit crimes. They revealed that such cases can be tackled if such organizations start to register users who log on to their networks.

Furthermore the panelists also stated that New Media has brought on a lot of regulatory and ethical issues adding that the situation brought about the need for the cybercrime act to combat crimes that can be committed via digital means, adding that the act has also granted security agencies right to monitor certain data and information.

They also revealed that the act is also meant to protect tech infrastructure, adding that the acts also states the kind of information ISPs are allowed to give, with the act also mandating ISPs to put additional checks for minors because of pornography.

The NCC is the leading regulatory body on all things communication in Nigeria. You can follow Pulse Tech's coverage of the Social Media Week Lagos here or on social media via the hashtag #SMWLPulse/#SMWLagos.