Former minister of Information and Culture under the Buhari-led administration, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has called for the regulation of social media to tackle anti-state groups, anarchists and other harmful entities in the country.
Mohammed, who is also the managing partner of Bruit Cosaud, a policy advisory firm, made the call at the iRepresent International Documentary Festival, which forms part of activities to mark the 90th birthday anniversary of Prof Wole Soyinka, on Friday.
The theme of the event is “Disinformation and Misinformation: The Media in the Age of Discontent.”
Mohammed stressed the need for stricter oversight of social media platforms to prevent them from being exploited by those seeking to undermine the government and incite violence
He noted that his call is not an attempt to stifle freedom of expression or censor dissenting voices, but a step geared towards ensuring that the social media platforms are held accountable.
He said: “Let me state here that I support the calls for the regulation of Social Media. However, regulation of social media should not be misconstrued as an attempt to stifle freedom of expression or censor dissenting voices.
“Rather, it should be viewed as a necessary step to ensure that these platforms operate in a manner that is responsible, ethical, and conducive to the well-being of society.”
Mohammed further urged the current administration to take action against social media companies that allow misleading information to circulate unchecked.
According to Mohammed, the unchecked spread of fake news and hate speech on social media has become a serious threat to national security, with anti-state groups using these platforms to spread propaganda and incite public unrest.
He warned that this trend could have dire consequences for the stability of the country and called for decisive action to address the issue.
He noted that social media remains a major space for proliferation of fake news, adding that the consequences of disinformation and misinformation are far-reaching in the sense of undermining democratic processes, among others.
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