Google, LinkedIn, TikTok Deactivate 28 Million Nigerian Accounts in One Year — NITDA DG
The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Abdullahi, has revealed that more than 28 million Nigerian accounts were deactivated by Google, LinkedIn and TikTok in the last one year due to fraud, impersonation and harmful content violations.
Abdullahi made the disclosure on Monday at a symposium on digital innovations in crisis communication, organised by the Centre for Crisis Communication in Abuja.
According to him, Google alone deactivated 9,680,141 accounts, while LinkedIn removed nearly 16 million accounts, despite being a professional networking platform. TikTok also conducted large-scale account removals linked to online abuse and criminal activity.
“Just last year, three platforms — Google, LinkedIn and TikTok — deactivated over 28 million accounts.
Google removed 9,680,141 for online fraud, impersonation and harmful content.
LinkedIn removed almost 16 million, which is outrageous for a professional site,” he said.
The NITDA boss noted that criminals are increasingly using professional platforms like LinkedIn for impersonation, social engineering and fraud targeting organisations and individuals.
He revealed that the joint collaboration between the Federal Government and global technology firms resulted in the mass suspensions, improved crisis response and better user protection mechanisms.
Within the same period, over 58.9 million pieces of content were deleted across the platforms, while 420,000 posts were reinstated after appeals or internal reviews.
Abdullahi emphasised the need for a transparent and agreed-upon takedown procedure to ensure that content is not wrongly removed based on political or personal interests.
“If content is not violating any laws in Nigeria, there is no way we can just say take it down,” he said, stating that minority voices must be protected through fair reinstatement processes.
He added that Nigeria’s partnership with big tech companies has strengthened user protection policies, supported the implementation of Nigeria’s Data Protection Regulation and led to the establishment of the Nigerian Data Protection Commission.
The event also featured remarks from the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who was represented by the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria, Jibrin Ndace.
The minister stressed that technology must be deployed to enhance crisis communication, protect public safety and uphold national security.
“It is not only the insecurity that we battle, but also the narrative that frames the insecurity,” he said, highlighting the impact of digital misinformation.
Chairman of the Centre for Crisis Communication, Major General Chris Olukolade (retd.), said crisis communication has evolved into a vital national security asset, warning that modern crises unfold in real time and require rapid, accurate communication from institutions.
He noted that the safety of affected populations now depends heavily on verified information, swift institutional coordination and timely public response.
