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Telecom

BBM Introduces New Privacy, Control Features to Chat & Share

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BlackBerry Limited has released several new features for BBM™, offering users new ways to chat and share with more privacy and control over their communications.

At the core of the BBM experience is privacy and control.

These two notions are more important today than ever before as people are looking for simple ways to help guard against their messages getting into the wrong hands or being seen by anyone other than the intended recipient.

New features for BBM introduced recently enable users to communicate with more discretion and freedom.

Features introduced include:

Timed Messages: By setting a timer you can control how long messages and pictures you share with contacts can be viewed within BBM.

The message is hidden until the recipient touches and holds on the chat. Then, once the timer has expired (or if the recipient takes their finger off the screen), the message is no longer visible.

The user also receives a notification if BBM detects that the recipient has taken a screenshot of the image or message.

Message Retraction: Users can now retract their message to remove it from their BBM chat before it has been read by the recipient or after it has been read so that it is no longer visible within the BBM chat.

High Quality Image Transfer: When a user receives a picture in BBM, they can quickly request an HD version to enjoy the image in full detail.

Faster Sticker Selection: It is now easier for users to browse BBM Stickers and quickly add them to their chats.

Discover New Music: See what music BBM contacts are listening to and show others what songs you’re playing. iPhone users can tap the song and be taken to iTunes for a quick and seamless purchase.

“These new enhancements to BBM were highly requested so we’re excited to be delivering them to users today,” said John Sims, president, Global Enterprise Services at BlackBerry. “These capabilities will allow our users to be more creative in how they deliver their messages while also being confident that their content is kept private and seen only by its intended recipient.”

Timed Messages and Message Retraction are premium features that will be available free and without restriction to BBM users over the next three months.

After this time, unrestricted access to these features will become part of a broader bundle of features that will be offered as part of a BBM subscription.

The Company said that the new features underscore its commitment to making BBM a world class privacy-focused instant messaging application.

New features are available for download over the next couple of days for BlackBerry 10 smartphones, iPhones and Android smartphones by installing the latest BBM update in BlackBerry World, Apple App Store and Google Play.


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Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

Telecom

Telcos Hit by Major Outages across Lagos, Enugu, Others

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About nine Nigerian states suffered network disruptions in the first week of June 2025 due to multiple fibre cuts, according to data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) live incident portal.

Telcos Hit by Major Outages across Lagos, Enugu, Others

As a result, the issues subscribers face include prolonged blackouts affecting voice, SMS and data services.

The affected customers are Airtel and 9Mobile subscribers in Lagos, Enugu, Delta, Akwa Ibom, and Abia.

The nationwide disruptions have underscored vulnerabilities in telecom infrastructure.

The outages have left customers stranded, impacting everything from basic communication to digital transactions and business operations.

Data from the platform of the NCC showed that residents of Ikorodu in Lagos are currently experiencing disruptions in SMS, voice, and data services from 9Mobile following a power outage that began in the early hours of June 9, 2025.

The outage has been traced to a diesel shortage at the network’s switch site, leading to a complete power failure.

As of now, the issue has persisted for nearly nine hours, with restoration efforts still ongoing.

Other affected customers are Airtel subscribers. Airtel customers in Ughelli South, Delta State, have been facing a prolonged disruption in data services due to an ongoing power outage that began on June 7, 2025.

The outage stems from multiple generator faults at site DL0231 — DG1 has a faulty injector pump, while DG2 remains unstable due to the same issue.


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Gaps on Phone Number Recycling Fuel Identity Theft, Data Breaches- ICIR

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When Okezie Kelechi lost his SIM card, the one he had used since his secondary school days, he didn’t think much of it.

Gaps on Phone Number Recycling Fuel Identity Theft, Data Breaches- ICIR

He was shocked weeks later to find out it had been reassigned to someone else.

“I had no idea that if your SIM card has been inactive for more than three months, they will resell it,” he wrote on social media.

“They recycled my SIM card and sold it. Same number, I have had it since secondary school.”

Kelechi’s story is far from unique.

Across Nigeria, more people are waking up to the realities of what is known as SIM recycling, a process where telecommunication companies reassign inactive phone numbers to new users. While allowed under existing rules set by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the practice is now raising serious concerns over data privacy, fraud, and national security.

A regulatory gap with real-life consequences

Experts in Nigeria’s telecommunications and security sectors are increasingly warning that the NCC’s failure to establish stronger oversight of SIM recycling is endangering millions.

“Beyond the data breaches, this issue posed a big threat to national security. I have always maintained the need for a central data system in Nigeria,” said Daniel Makolo, a retired senior official of the Nigerian Immigration Service to The ICIR.

“There’s much more to this if we don’t pay attention to an appropriate central data mining system that gives us a history of each person in the country.”

Ayodele Ajayi, an engineering professor at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, explained the security risks from his own experience.

“I used to have one Airtel number, but I travelled out. Before I came back, it was reallocated to another user,” he said.

Because phone numbers are tied to Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) and National Identity Numbers (NINs), reassigning them can expose people to identity theft and financial loss.

The NCC should find a way to notify users when their numbers are at risk of being deactivated, Ajayi urged.

He also recounted an incident he witnessed at a bank, “a woman was narrating how she used to have a particular number but lost it. Somebody saw the number and started using it.

The woman said that before she could act, the person who got the number had started using it and had connived with a bank office to almost wipe out all her savings.

“Upon arriving at the bank to check her account balance, she found out that she had only N50,000 left from about N5 million she had saved up.”

Ajayi emphasised that while recycling is a practical move for telcos to manage limited number availability, more caution is needed.

“Let people know so they can migrate their data to another line, particularly now that almost every channel we use is linked to the phone number, including our bank verification number (BVN)”, he stated.

Kelechi recalled that his number was reassigned to another user despite still being active on WhatsApp.

“I used to wonder why random Hausa boys were always messaging me and calling me baby.

He added that “when I finally visited MTN office in Nigeria, I was told the line has been sold to someone else. E pain me, I no go lie.”

Another social media user Elizabeth Kandi, @DrETKandi warning others about the hidden risks of SIM inactivity alleges that when reassigned the new user can have  access to your USSD banking.

“If your Nigerian number was connected to your Nigerian bank accounts for USSD, if you didn’t use it for long, the network provider can disconnect and sell the number to someone else…but that person would be able to access your money via USSD,” Kandi wrote.

Her post underscores the growing fear that recycled numbers, still linked to sensitive services like mobile banking, can open the door to fraud and financial loss

Why do Telcos recycle SIMs?

At a virtual stakeholder meeting in April 2025, NCC Executive Vice Chairman Aminu Maida acknowledged the concern noting that with the evolving landscape, it has become necessary to address emerging challenges that could undermine consumer rights.

He further noted that the Quality-of-Service Business Rules 2024 stipulate that a prepaid line without a revenue-generating event for six months must be deactivated.

This means if a prepaid SIM card goes unused for six months (i.e., no calls, texts, or data use), it must be deactivated.

If the inactivity continues for another six months, the number may be recycled/reallocated to a new user.

In Section 28 of the NCC’s draft business  it is stated that all recycled SIMs must be purged of any NIN attached  to allow a new user to link their own NIN. But real-world cases suggest that in practice, many recycled numbers are not properly sanitised before reassignment.

The business case for SIM recycling

For telecom operators, recycling isn’t just a technical choice, it’s economic.

Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), explained that subscribers do not have ownership rights to SIM cards in their possession, as the telecom operators pay procurement and recurring costs for each registered subscriber.

He further explained that SIM cards are “recycled” to prevent number exhaustion while reducing the cost of generating and maintaining them.

“SIM cards are reassigned to reduce the dormant subscribers, as telcos are profit-oriented organisations,” Adebayo said.

In the exercise of its powers under Section 70 of the NCC Act (2003), the commission made provisions for the development of a new numbering plan for Nigeria. Under the provision, telcos are obligated to pay a sum that is the ‘numbering plan fees’ to maintain their allocated numbers.

 

 


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Airtel Recommits to Fraud Prevention after NCC’s N104m Fine for SIM Registration Breaches

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Airtel Nigeria has restated its commitment to transparency, customer safety, and regulatory collaboration following recent regulatory enforcement by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Airtel Recommits to Fraud Prevention after NCC’s N104m Fine for SIM Registration Breaches

The NCC had served Airtel Nigeria a notice of sanction over some alleged SIM infractions in Kano State and consequently slammed a fine of N104 million on the telecommunications firm.

NCC had in  a letter, addressed to Airtel Nigeria Chief Executive Officer, dated May 26, 2025, signed by Chizua Whyte, head, Legal and Regulatory Services, and Mohammed Dari, acting head, Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement,  on behalf of Dr Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman, NCC,  titled: ‘Notice of Sanction: Non-Compliance with SIM Registration Directive in Kano,’ where the infractions were spelt out.

According to NCC, Airtel infractions include unauthorised SIM registrations using 198 unapproved devices, resulting in 8,275 registrations outside the 281 verified Airtel shops; premature activation of 63 MSISDNs prior to proper SIM registration, contrary to the provisions of the Registration of Communications Subscribers Regulations 2022; failure to conduct effective eyeballing, leading to 407 fraudulent SIM registrations with multiple NINs, contrary to the provision of the Registration of Communications Subscribers Regulations 2022 and failure to provide satisfactory explanation for SIM registrations conducted between 12.00 a.m and 6.00 a.m.

On the matter, the letter revealed that there were some letter exchanges and subsequent meetings on the infractions between the telecom regulator and Airtel, starting from January 12, 2025, March 19, 2025, March 24, 2025, and March 27, 2025, respectively.

Apparently, after investigations and responses from Airtel, the NCC was not satisfied and this led to the fine of N104 million, which was to be paid within seven days from the date the letter was issued.

Specifically, NCC fined Airtel N5 million, N12 million, N81.4 million and N5 million for the infractions respectively.

Reacting, Airtel, expressed appreciation to the NCC for uncovering the infractions, describing the development as a critical opportunity to strengthen internal processes and further align with national security and regulatory expectations

“We thank the NCC for its vigilance and continued support in protecting the integrity of the telecoms ecosystem. Airtel takes these findings seriously and is already implementing corrective measures,” a spokesperson for the company said.

Only recently, Airtel Nigeria’s CEO recently announced that the company is doubling its investment in the country, focusing on network expansion, fiber-to-the-street rollout, 4G/5G deployment, customer care upgrades, and digital infrastructure security.

These investments reinforce Airtel’s long-term vision of building a resilient and forward-looking telecom network that meets the evolving needs of Nigerians.

“Our systems are constantly evolving to stay ahead of scammers and malicious actors,” the spokesperson added. “This is not just about compliance; it’s about our responsibility to the millions of Nigerians who rely on Airtel daily.”

Airtel Nigeria says it will continue to work closely with the NCC and other arms of government to ensure high standards of service and safety for all telecom users nationwide.

 

 

 

 


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