You are here: HomeAfricaBBC2021 06 07Article 1280518

BBC Pidgin of Monday, 7 June 2021

Source: BBC

Twitter ban in Nigeria: See Countries wey don ban Twitter and how citizens dia take dey tweet

Twitter founder Jack Dorsey (right)  be strong supporter of #EndSARS Taitter campaign Twitter founder Jack Dorsey (right) be strong supporter of #EndSARS Taitter campaign

Ban on Twitter, Facebook, Internet Shutdown and online censorship no be new tin again all as authorities for some kontries don bin carry out dis actions before.

Di Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) bring out one report for 2018 wey reveal say up to 22 African goment don order network disruptions for di last four years.

And since di start of 2019, six African kontries - Algeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, Gabon, Sudan and Zimbabwe - don experience internet shutdowns.

On Friday June 4, Nigeria goment announce say dem don suspend di operations of Twitter inside di kontri till further notice.

Nigeria goment say dia decision na sake of di "constant use of Twitter for activities wey fit damage di kontri corporate existence."

Dis ban dey come two days afta Twitter bin delete one tweet from President Muhammadu Buhari wey mention di Nigeria civil war and warn those wey dey attack goment buildings.

So with dis latest Twitter ban from Federal goment, Nigeria don join some oda kontries for di world wey don ban twitter and oda social media platforms;

China

For 2009, China block Twitter for temporary afta small group of Muslim ethnic minority (Uighurs) inside di kontri use di site to exchange information wey later lead to serious riot for Xinjiang.

Afta di goment take dat decision many pipo for China begin VPN to access Twitter. Later on authorities come officially block twitter togeda with Facebook and odas.

Turkey

For 2014, Turkey block Twitter. Di Telecommunications regulator cites one court order to apply "protection measures" on di website.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wey bin promise to "wipe out Twitter" say e no care wetin di international community go tok but e later lift di ban for April 2015.

EgyptDuring di 2011 protest for Egypt, Twitter claim say authorities for di kontri block dem but di goment deny say dem no take any action to restrict use of twitter.

Herdict, one project from Harvard University wey dey collect data about websites wey dey down, write many reports say Twitter dey down during di protests.

North Korea

North Korea start to dey block Twitter and oda sites for April 2016 - and previously for late 2014 - to stop di spread of information.

Infact Internet access for North Korea dey restricted to small section of di top ogas wey must receive state approval to use am.

How dis kontries wey don block twitter dey tweet?

Most Pipo for dis kotries wey dia goment ban Twitter dey either use VPN or alternative social meida platforms like Weibo as in di case of China

Virtual private network (VPN) dey help pesin browse di internet anonymously (Without no identity). E dey allow pesin get access to content wey authorities don block for im kontri.

Di way VPN dey work be say e go connect your computer or device to di network of anoda organization wey dey provide di service.

Wen you use VPN, all of your Internet communications dey packaged togeda, encrypted, and then send to dis oda organization, where dem go come decrypt, unpack, and then sent am to dia destination.

So to any oda pesin for di wider Internet, e go look like say you dey browse from inside di organization and not from your location.

Individuals dey use VPN to bypass local censorship, or defeat local surveillance.

But di risk wey dey for using VPN be say your privacy no dey guaranteed online as e be say di organization wey get di VPN fit see everything wey you dey do.

ICT expert, Akinseyin Kehinde explain say if di organization wey dey provide di service get hidden agenda, dem fit install bug inside your system to gada data, spy on you or take control of your oda online activities apart from di Twitter use.