The High Authority for Audiovisual and Communication (HAAC) of Benin is signaling a major shift in the country’s media landscape, as it considers new regulations targeting social media influencers and digital platforms such as TikTok and Facebook.
Speaking on Bip Radio’s “L’Entretien Grand Format” programme on Sunday, Secretary General François Awoudo outlined the regulator’s evolving position on the growing influence of online content creators.
“Take the tests again, you’ll understand: any tool used to transmit a message to a mass of people is a media outlet,” Awoudo declared, emphasizing that platforms capable of reaching large audiences fall squarely within HAAC’s purview.
The rise of influencers, many of whom command audiences numbering in the thousands, has prompted growing concern over unregulated content and the spread of misinformation.
Awoudo pointed to other countries where thresholds exist—such as subscriber counts or viewership metrics—that automatically qualify individuals as media entities subject to oversight.
“If we go in this direction, it would be better to remove the word ‘media’,” he warned.
“As soon as you reach hundreds or thousands of people, you must be watched for the content you convey.”
Awoudo acknowledged the lack of legal clarity in Benin on when an influencer becomes a media outlet but insisted that such ambiguity must end.
“We cannot remain in no man’s land,” he said, calling for urgent updates to the legal framework to align with the rapid evolution of digital media.
The HAAC is expected to prioritize this issue in its upcoming symposiums, where broader discussions on digital governance and media ethics will take center stage.
According to Awoudo, using the digital nature of these platforms as a loophole to escape regulation is no longer acceptable.
As digital content continues to reshape how information is consumed and shared across Benin, the move signals a broader institutional effort to assert oversight in a space long operating without clear boundaries.
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