Big Brother Is ‘Tapping In'… Loud And Clear!

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has concluded plans to introduce Lawful Interception (LI); a legally sanctioned official access to private communications, such as telephone calls or e-mail messages. The regulatory body readily cites the need to enhance national security, prevent crime and aid criminal investigations, as a compelling reason for the regulatory intervention. That is an argument but not much more than that. It is, however, not an issue with only one legitimate viewpoint. As with most areas of legislative or regulatory interventions, there are differing philosophical positions and opposing legal interpretations on the content and scope of the guidelines issued by the regulatory body on the 'lawful interception of communications'. Both sides of the argument are passionate about their stance. The questions, of course, are many and varied.