Benin: TikTok, Facebook… the HAAC announces imminent regulation of social networks

In plain language, François Awoudo reminded everyone that any tool used to disseminate a message to a large audience is, by definition, a medium. “Think about it like TikTok. Go back over the tests, you will understand. Any tool you use to convey a message to a mass of people is a media,” he reiterated.

Given the rising power of influencers on social media, HAAC’s Secretary General François Awoudo has laid down the groundwork for possible HAAC approval. According to him, this nuanced issue hints at a forthcoming change. “Beninese legislation needs to evolve. In certain countries, as soon as you have a following of a certain number of people, you are automatically considered a media,” he explained.

François Awoudo clarified that this reflection will probably be at the heart of discussions at the colloquium that the HAAC will organize in a few days. According to him, hiding behind the status of a digital platform to skirt the rules is an approach with a short life.

“If we go in this direction, we would be better off eliminating the term media. As soon as you use a tool to reach hundreds or thousands of people, you should be looked at for the message you are conveying”, he insisted.

End of the legal void …

On the question of the threshold of people reached that would qualify an influencer as a media, the Secretary General acknowledges that Beninese legislation has not yet set this criterion. “But we can’t remain in a legal void, in a no man’s land”, he emphasized, calling for an update to the texts to adapt to current realities.

In the background, this future regulation could redefine the responsibilities of influencers, but also lay the groundwork for shared accountability between content creators and digital platforms. With this statement, the HAAC is preparing public opinion for reforms that appear inevitable.