The High Court of Lagos State has ordered X Corp. (formerly Twitter) to disclose the identity and relevant account information of the individual operating a parody account alleged to have published manipulated content concerning a university student. The court also awarded the claimant ₦20 million in damages for the harm suffered as a result of the publication.
The claimant, a student, had approached the court alleging that a parody account on the social media platform circulated altered content that damaged his reputation and subjected him to public ridicule. He sought judicial intervention to compel the platform to disclose the identity of the account holder to enable appropriate legal action against the individual responsible.
In its decision, the court directed X Corp. to release the account holder’s identifying information within 14 days. The court further ordered that failure to comply with the directive would attract a monetary penalty of ₦50 million.
The court also held that the claimant was entitled to compensation for the reputational injury occasioned by the publication and awarded ₦20 million in damages. The decision underscores the willingness of Nigerian courts to grant relief in appropriate cases involving alleged online defamation and misuse of social media platforms.
The judgment highlights the increasing role of the courts in addressing disputes arising from digital communications, particularly where anonymous online activity is alleged to have infringed the rights and reputation of individuals. It also reflects the growing judicial scrutiny of the responsibilities of social media platforms in proceedings involving the identification of users accused of unlawful online conduct.
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