Abuja, Feb. 3, 2023 – The Federal Government on Friday signed agreements with Google and Meta to check the incidence of fake news during the 2023 general elections,
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, who signed on behalf of Nigeria, said the step was being taken to protect the integrity of the elections.
The minister underscored the importance of the elections to the country and the assurance by President Muhammadu Buhari on free, fair, credible, and peaceful polls.
He said that the use of social media was a critical factor in national elections, especially with a predominantly youthful population.
Mohammed expressed the concern that with 22 days to the elections, there has been noticeable increase in the use of fake news on social media platforms.
The two tech giants promised to assist Nigeria on its four demands which included flagging and bringing down posts that considered to be fake news on their platforms.
They also agreed to work with the security agencies to bring down posts capable of inciting violence before, during, and after the elections.
It was also agreed that election results not originating from official sources, should be flagged as unverified by the tech giants’ platforms.
They also agreed to give prominence to posts emanating from official channels like the Ministry of Information and Culture, INEC, National Orientation Agency and other government agencies. (GBN)
