INEC has banned web cameras for voter registration and introduced secure app-based cameras after discovering AI-generated photos in the national voter database.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially banned the use of web cameras during voter registration exercises nationwide.
The drastic policy change comes in response to major security vulnerabilities after the electoral body admitted that AI generated images and unauthorized digital files successfully infiltrated the national register of voters.
The announcement was made by INEC leadership during a national press briefing in Abuja, where officials addressed growing public outcry over compromised data entries.
According to the commission, investigations revealed that some registration personnel compromised system passwords and deliberately bypassed standard operating procedures, allowing external or fake photographs to be uploaded into the database.
To prevent further manipulation, the commission has directed its Director of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to completely phase out standard web cameras.
They are being replaced with a specialized, app-based camera system designed to block users from importing or uploading pictures from outside sources or external URLs.
Explaining the new technological safeguard and the decision to stop external uploads, INEC leadership emphasized that security must be tightened ahead of the upcoming polls:
“We have just directed the director of ICT now that our web camera, should not be allowed again. Instead, we should have an app camera. It is what is on the app that will take picture. Don’t go and use any URL and begin to import pictures here and there. When things happen like that, you don’t want to fall into the same error.”
The introduction of app-based cameras coincides with a massive cleanup of the voter register, which saw the removal of over 1.6 million invalid records and deceased persons.
Furthermore, INEC has identified 54 staff members across 10 states as complicit in registration irregularities, confirming that internal investigations and disciplinary actions are currently underway.
The electoral commission is stepping up cybersecurity measures to restore public confidence ahead of the general elections.
Jennifer Baba is a journalist, international news correspondent, and writer at Moderncrux, where she covers artificial intelligence, fintech, emerging technologies, global politics, and international affairs. Based in Nigeria, she is passionate about transforming complex global developments into clear, engaging stories that inform and inspire readers.
