Over 28 Million Nigerian Social Media Accounts Removed in 2024 to Curb Fraud and Harmful Content

The Federal Government of Nigeria has revealed that Google, LinkedIn, and TikTok removed more than 28 million Nigerian accounts in 2024 as part of a crackdown on online fraud, impersonation, and harmful content. The effort was carried out in collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

Breakdown of Removals:

• Google: 9,680,141 accounts deactivated for scams, identity fraud, and harmful material.
• LinkedIn: Nearly 16 million accounts removed, raising concerns due to the platform’s professional focus.
• TikTok: Millions of accounts removed under its content moderation policies.
• Content Removed: 58.9 million posts were taken down across all platforms, while 420,000 were reinstated after review.

Key Statements:

• Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, NITDA DG, emphasized that the crackdown aims to reduce online fraud, improve crisis management, and ensure only genuinely harmful content is removed.
• He highlighted that false information spreads almost six times faster than verified news, causing economic disruption and necessitating stronger national digital systems.
• The partnership between NITDA and tech giants also supports regulatory frameworks like Nigeria’s Data Protection Regulation, implemented by the Nigerian Data Protection Commission.

Additional Insights:

• Nigerians lodged 754,629 complaints about harmful content, prompting platforms to remove millions of posts.
• In 2023, over 65 million pieces of content were taken down across Google, X (formerly Twitter), Microsoft, and TikTok following similar complaints.

This intensified enforcement demonstrates Nigeria’s commitment to digital safety, fraud reduction, and responsible online engagement in an increasingly connected society.