In Nigeria, the National Film And Video Censors Board (NFVCB) has vowed to clamp down on Over-The-Top (OTT) streaming services violating the country’s digital content law.
“The consequences of not complying with the digital content law and providing contents that are against the fabric of the society are in our regulations and constitution,” he said.
This was said by Alhaji Adedayo Thomas, Executive Director of the NFVCB, at the conclusion of the third edition of the NFVCB’s Digital Content Regulation Conference in Lagos. NFVCB-NETFLIX Safe Screen and Digital Entertainment Space Forum was the focus of the three-day conference.
According to Thomas, the board is determined to protect Nigeria’s cultural value system by ensuring that films and videos distributed in Nigeria meet the required ethical standards. He said that NFVCB organised the conference to bring stakeholders in the creative industry together to brainstorm on how to provide safe digital content for children.
The meeting, he added, was part of an effort to enhance initiatives for responsible digital parenting and enable age-appropriate online experiences for children and young people on digital entertainment platforms.
Ziyanda Buthelezi-Ngcobo, Manager, Public Policy Sub-Sahara Africa, NEFLIX, stated in a presentation that the streaming platform was partnering with the NFVCB to protect digital content seen by children. Buthelezi-Ngcobo added that NETFLIX was devoted to promoting African culture and values through content censorship.
She further explained that the streaming service had built trust by providing responsible self-regulation under the board’s guidance. According to her, while the OTT is a safe destination, it does not market its services to children under age 18, except with the consent of their parents.
The NETFLIX official said that the streaming service gave parents control on its platform to monitor and ensure their children are not exposed to unsafe content. Buthelezi-Ngcobo stated that the focus of NETFLIX was on three Cs, namely: Content, Context and Control.
