Warrantless Searches Deter Innovation

This provision allows NCA officers to enter telecommunications facilities and seize equipment without warrants, creating significant barriers for digital innovators and startups. While established operators can absorb compliance costs and operational disruptions, new entrants face existential risk from equipment seizure that could shut down operations for months. The Authority can retain seized equipment indefinitely based on its own determination of "regulatory risk," with only internal administrative review after 12 months—no independent judicial oversight. This creates a chilling effect on technological experimentation and pilot programs, as innovators deploying cutting-edge solutions (5G, IoT, experimental networks) face unpredictable seizure risk. Notably, the following provision (53) requires District Magistrate warrants for document searches, yet this provision allows warrantless entry and equipment seizure—an inconsistency that undermines legal certainty and disadvantages innovative operators who lack the legal resources of incumbents.