Nigerian Government clarifies position on social media regulation

The Federal Government says it has no intention of shutting down social media.
It said its plan is to regulate social media to be responsible and refrain from being a purveyor of fake news and hate speech.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made the clarification on Saturday in Lagos when he inspected the headquarters of The Nation newspaper and TV Continental (TVC)  that were attacked during the #EndSARS protest.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the minister was accompanied on the inspection by heads of parastatal agencies in his ministry. Speaking at the premises of The Nation, the minister said the Muhammadu Buhari administration has high regards for freedom of the press.

He said his recent call for the regulation of the excesses of the social media should not be misconstrued for a total ban. “We did not at any time say that we will shut down the social media “Social media has come to stay and it will be an antithesis to democracy to shut it down because it is the fastest way of disseminating information.

“However, we must regulate social media in a manner that it does not become a purveyor of fake news and hate speech. ‘We will not fold our arms to allow purveyors of fake news and hate speech to use the social media to destabilise the country,” he said.

– Vanguardngr