LCCI Lists Effect Of Twitter Ban On Businesses
The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has warned against what it described as collateral damage the suspension of Twitter operations in Nigeria would cause.
Its Director-General, Dr Muda Yusuf said many businesses, especially small medium enterprises (SMEs), leverage the micro-blogging social media platform for marketing and other promotional activities. The implication of the suspension, he said, is that this group of businesses are being deprived the use of the platform.
He said the platform could also be used as a tool for the dissemination of information and that this could be harmful to the society and imposes a major responsibility on Twitter to ensure an effective self regulation.
In response to WhatsApp message, he said: “The Twitter saga raises a major issue of proportionality on both sides of the divide. We should worry about the collateral damage to businesses that could result from the Twitter ban. Many businesses, especially SMEs, leverage this digital platform for marketing and other promotional activities. The implications is that this group of businesses are being deprived the use of the platform.
“Some even have ongoing contractual obligations in this regard. The outright ban was disproportionate, having regards to the wider implications for numerous small businesses that derive significant value from the use of this digital platform. My view is that other channels of seeking redress should have been explored.
“But there is a flip side. The reality is that the platform could also be used as a tool for the dissemination of information that could be harmful to the society. This imposes a major responsibility on Twitter to ensure an effective self regulation. The saga also underscores the need by Twitter to have a deeper contextual understanding and insight of tweets before drawing conclusions. Such contextualisation would enrich its judgment and enhance its credibility.”
Some businesses, yesterday, suspended their customer support on Twitter following a ban placed on the micro-blogging platform.
Some of these businesses that have complied with restriction include financial institutions, startups, e-commerce platforms, consulting firms and others.
Konga, an e-commerce firm, informed customers that its Twitter channel would not be available to assist requests due to the suspension.
“Due to the temporary ban on Twitter in Nigeria, we won’t be available to support you via Twitter until the ban is lifted.
“For help and support, please reach out to our Customer Experience Team using any of these (other) channels,” the company said.
“As a result, we are pausing Twitter support for now,” Rise Capital informed investors in an email note on Monday.
“While we await for the ban on Twitter to be lifted, we will be unable to assist you via Twitter,” Carbon, an investment company, said.
OPay Digital Services Limited also sent a mobile application update to customers stating the unavailability of its Twitter channel.
Bolt, a ride-hailing app, also informed customers of the latest Twitter suspension and the impact on its support service within the period.
“Due to the temporary ban on Twitter in Nigeria, we cannot offer you support through our Twitter account.
“Our dedicated support and high priority teams will continue to be on hand to provide 24/7 support through channels,” the message read.
