By Marie-Therese Nanlong 

For many Nigerians, including those in Plateau State, the phone has become more than a communication device. It is a workplace, a newsroom, a marketplace, a platform for expressing opinions, among others.

As more of life moves online, violations of citizens’ digital rights are increasingly treated as if they were too insignificant to deserve legal attention.

That attitude must change, and immediately too.

Being harassed online, having private information exposed, accounts unlawfully accessed, communications monitored, or legitimate expression suppressed can have consequences far beyond the screen.

Digital abuse can damage reputations, threaten livelihoods, and invade privacy.

Digital rights are not separate from human rights simply because they are exercised online. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) recognises rights including privacy, freedom of expression and the press, and has the mandate to receive and investigate complaints of human rights violations.

Citizens therefore should not merely complain online and offline when their rights are violated.

They should preserve evidence, screenshots, messages, links, dates and other relevant records, and report serious violations to the appropriate authorities, including, Ripoti Africa by Paradigm Initiative, a leading tool for reporting and documenting digital rights violations.

Where personal data or privacy is involved, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission is another relevant avenue to lay complaints.

Where a violation gives rise to a legal claim, citizens may also seek legal advice and pursue appropriate remedies through the courts.

Silence only makes abuse easier. A society that takes rights seriously must defend them both offline and online. 

Digital spaces are part of public life, and the rights citizens enjoy there deserve to be protected with the same seriousness as rights exercised anywhere else.