marketrent OP t1_j7b7gvs wrote on February 5, 2023 at 2:29 PM

Excerpt from the linked Reuters content^1 by Felix Onuah:

>ABUJA, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Nigeria has asked Google and Meta to control the spread of fake news on their platforms ahead of a presidential election this month, Information Minister Lai Mohammed said on Friday.

>Nigerians go to the polls on Feb. 25 to elect a new president, with three frontrunners promising to deal with the rising cost of living, insecurity and a slow-growing economy.

>Mohammed said he met with Meta and Google representatives in Abuja on Friday and requested that they make posts from official channels visible on their platforms, and flag as unverified election results originating from unofficial sources.

>He also asked the two companies to work with the security services to take down posts capable of inciting violence.

>Mohammed's request comes after he asked Google last year to block the use of YouTube channels and livestreams by secessionist and Islamist militant groups in the country.

^1 Nigeria asks social media giants to curb fake news ahead of election, F. Onuah, 3 Feb. 2023, https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/nigeria-asks-social-media-giants-curb-fake-news-ahead-election-2023-02-03/

whatweshouldcallyou t1_j7bfbq5 wrote on February 5, 2023 at 3:30 PM

Corrupt government wants to control information flow and will totally not abuse it to suppress dissent.

pencil1324 t1_j7c15j6 wrote on February 5, 2023 at 6:00 PM

ding ding ding

small-iq t1_j7fajtt wrote on February 6, 2023 at 11:12 AM

Ohh ohh! Now apply that to the US! We shan't be inconsistent.

charavaka t1_j7cxq46 wrote on February 5, 2023 at 9:39 PM

Pretty much the same story in India. Leave alone fringe elements, things supporting mainstream opposition or questioning the dear leader (modi) or his favourite industrialist (adani) get called fake news and banned or attacked. Some of you might have heard of the bbc documentary on modi's genocidal politics and the Hindenburg report on adani's corruption which came out recently. Both are western propaganda to bring down resurgent india, according to the government. BBC documentary is banned and news agencies are busy equating adani with india and calling for action against Indian journalists and opposition who have been crying hoarse against adani's crony capitalism long before Hindenburg report. Government agencies including market regulators are threatening short sellers without so much as pretending to investigate the Hindenburg accusations, as adani stock tumbles.

Nanyea t1_j7edyjs wrote on February 6, 2023 at 4:22 AM

Some countries have an electoral discretionary period that prohibits posts/news close to an election... We could really use that maybe a much bigger window like 2 weeks...