Twitter has written to us over suspension, seeks dialogue – FG

The Federal Government says micro-blogging site and networking platform, Twitter has formally written to seek dialogue concerning the ban on its operations in the country.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, made this known when he featured on “Politics Nationwide,’’ a Radio Nigeria call-in programme in Abuja.

He said: “I can confirm that Twitter has written the Federal Government that they are ready to talk.

“As we have always maintained, the door is not locked and we are open-minded but Twitter must work toward it,” he said.

The minister reiterated the government’s position that it would not tolerate any platform that would be used to destabilise the country.

Mohammed said among other conditions for Twitter to resume operation in Nigeria, there must be an agreement as to what contents it could post.

He said Twitter and other platforms must also register as a Nigerian company, obtain a license from the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), and be guided by the rules of the licensing as well as pay taxes.

Mohammed noted that the regulation of social media platforms is becoming a global practice and Nigeria must not be left behind.

He said most countries were just waking up to the fact that the platforms were becoming more powerful than even government and needed to be regulated.

The minister said that the UK initiated a new law that would make social media companies be fined up to 18 million pounds (about N10.8 billion) if they failed to stamp out online abuses.

“Singapore, Algeria, Pakistan, Turkey regulate the social media, Australia has done so.

“Even EU that does not have particular laws on social media has made recommendations in a white paper,” he said.