As part of its commitment to transparency, the Facebook team in Nigeria has expressed their desire to fight the current trend of fake news shared across the internet ahead of the Nigerian general elections scheduled to hold in February next year.
Announcing this at an exhibition for members of the press and the general public, Facebook’s Politics and Government Outreach manager for Europe, Middle East and Africa, Tom Miller, emphasised the gravity of the upcoming elections and how integral it is to the Nigerian story.
While speaking, Miller highlighted some of the steps the social media giant has taken towards addressing several issues surrounding elections including warding off bad actors, tackling the spread of fake and invalid news, as well as managing fake accounts. Additionally, they are ensuring that transparency is realised for the 2019 polls in areas such as advertising, noting that the platform is open to employing multiple measures and partnerships aimed at protecting the integrity of the election and providing a safe space for valid campaigns.
Miller went on to announce that the team is working tirelessly to ensure that the contents exhibited on Facebook are not harmful or offensive, as it hopes to play a neutral role in the elections.
Shedding more light on the team’s effort to combat fake news and other online election hurdles, the Public Policy Lead for Anglophone West Africa, Akua Gyekye, stated that the social media platform is heavily invested in Nigeria and as such, holds its matters in high regards.
On the company’s mission to bring the world closer by aiding in establishing communities, Gyekye said: “Facebook’s mission is clear: to give people the power to build communities and bring the world closer together. Our mission in Nigeria is no different –we understand the importance of being local in a global world– and want to have a positive long-term impact.”
She further explained that all politically charged contents shall be subjected to the Facebook Community Standard’s rule book to ensure equality and impartiality, while providing a platform for voices and ideas to be shared. Gyekye also called for Nigerians to be conscious and aware of the content they put out, or come across. She concluded by asking people to report content that they feel might contravene Facebook’s Community Standards.
