2023: META OUTLINES PLANS TO COMBAT FAKE NEWS, HATE SPEECH AHEAD OF ELECTIONS

Meta, the parent company for WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram, has announced plans to combat fake news and hate speech, ahead of the 2023 general elections.

The company’s Head of Public Policy for Anglophone West Africa, Adaora Ikenze, made this known during a media roundtable event in Lagos.

Ikenze said Meta would be taking aggressive steps to fight the spread of fake news on its services in Nigeria.

We know it is important for people to see accurate information on Facebook and Instagram”, she said.

She said Meta would henceforth remove any sensitive fake information that could lead to imminent violence or physical harm, adding that it would be working with its fact-checking partners, AFP, Africa Check and Dubawa.

Ikenze explained that the fact-checking would review and rate potentially false content on the platforms, label it, and place it lower in the feed, so that fewer people could see it.

“To further educate Nigerians on how to spot false news and the actions to take, we are partnering with local radio stations to create ‘#NoFalseNews’ radio dramas in English and Pidgin.

Meta would also be executing a WhatsApp awareness campaign, #YouSaid in Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo and Pidgin, to educate users to verify information before sharing and running online ads on Facebook.