Internet censorship in Nigeria not pervasive despite government surveillance
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Nigeria is among countries with the least internet censorship in the world, according a study conducted by Proxyrack, a data collection firm, which shows government surveillance of citizens and the media has little negative impact for now.
Internet censorship is the legal control or suppression of what can be accessed, published, or viewed on the internet.
Out of the 20 countries Proxyrack profiled in internet freedom scores, Nigeria ranked 57 over 100. The United Kingdom ranked 79, Japan 77, Germany 76, and France 75.
Internet freedom is fast becoming an increasingly important issue, with some governments around the world seeking to limit their citizen’s digital rights, restrict access to or censor information, or even prevent reliable internet access altogether.
Internet freedom is on the decline globally, with some activists taking advantage of residential proxies and VPNs to speak out against corrupt regimes and create a fairer society.
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Countries with highest internet penetration
In terms of the number of citizens online per 100,000, Nigeria has 49,968. The UK has 99, Japan 231, Germany 95,440 and France 93,583.
The UK believes freedom to access the internet is the most fundamental right when it comes to internet freedom, and it has the highest proportion of internet users, according to the report, per The PUNCH.
Nearly all of the adult UK population accessed the internet in some form recently.
Despite the large proportion of internet users in Japan, the country spends the least time on social media and on the internet overall, compared to other countries.
Internet access is a key aspect of internet freedom, as some governments chose to silence opposing voices by limiting the internet infrastructure of certain areas.
This is not the case in France, however, as it takes third place for this factor, with just over 94,000 people per 100,000 being regular internet users.
Internet censorship is the restriction of certain aspects of online media, such as social media and political propaganda, among others.
