Navigating the Intersection of Technology and Law: Legal Implications of Emerging Digital Platforms in Rivers State, Nigeria

The fast rate of technological advancement  has intensify  to various digital platforms, transforming how we communicate, conduct business, and  our interact with the world. However, legal systems often strive to keep pace with these changes, creating a need to examine the legal implications of emerging digital platforms and update laws accordingly. This study examined the intersection of technology and law, focusing on the legal challenges posed by social media, e-commerce, and artificial intelligence in Rivers State, Nigeria. The study adopted correlational research design. Fourteen research questions and fourteen corresponding hypotheses guided the conduct of the study. The population of the study comprises companies in Rivers State various stakeholders, such as technology companies, legal experts, policymakers, and users, with an emphasis on the global context. A sample of 450 stakeholders was selected for the study through disproportionate stratified sampling technique. A researcher designed questionnaire was used to collect data titled: “Navigating the Intersection of Technology and Law: Legal Implications of Emerging Digital Platforms Questionnaire” (NITLLIEDOQ). The instrument was validated by experts in Measurement and Evaluation in the Department of Educational Psychology, Guidance and Counselling, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt. The reliability of the instrument was established through test re-test method. The reliability indices obtained were; PSV(r = 0.86), DA (r = 0.75) and MI (r = 0.96). Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) was used to answer and test the research questions and hypotheses. The results of the analyses of the hypotheses were tested for statistical significance at .05 alpha levels. The finding of the study revealed that Facebook, integram, twitter, linked, tiktok, youtube, amazon, eBay, Alibaba, shopify, Google Ai,IBM Watson, Microsoft Azare Ai and Open Ai emergency of all these platforms had strong positive and significant relationship with legal implication in Rivers State, with an emphasis on the global context.  From the findings, the study point out gaps that need to be addressed to ensure effective governance and protection of individual rights. It emphasizes the importance of adapting existing laws, formulating new legal frameworks, and fostering collaboration between legal experts, policymakers, and technology stakeholders to address the  genuine  issues posed by digital platforms and promote responsible innovation.