We will regulate, not shut down social media —FG

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The Federal Government on Thursday said it has no plans to shut down the internet or social media.

It said it would only work with stakeholders to regulate social media.

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It said this was necessary to checkmate the surge of fake news, which it said almost plunged the nation into disintegration during the recent #ENDSARS protests.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja., said, the social media was used wrongly to cause mayhem in the aftermath of the #EndSARS protest.

He said: “This development has reinforced the campaign against fake news and disinformation, which we launched in 2018.

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“As a matter of fact, as far back as 2017, when we dedicated that year’s National Council on Information to the issue of fake news and disinformation, we had been expressing concerns on the dangers posed by irresponsible use of the new media platform.

“The concerns culminated in the launch of the national campaign which I referred to earlier.

“The social media was used to guide arsonists and looters to certain properties, both public and private. Pictures of persons, including some celebrities, who were supposedly killed at the Lekki Toll Gate by soldiers, were circulated widely, only for those persons to refute such claims or for the discerning to disprove such posts,” he said.

He continued by saying that the government had a responsibility to crack down on the “abuse” of social media. “As we have said many times, no responsible government will stand by and allow such abuse of social media to continue.

“The fake news/disinformation purveyors have latched on to our concerns to allege that the Federal Government is planning to shut down social media. No, we have no plans to shut down social media.

“What we have always advocated, and what we will do, is to regulate social media. Nigeria is not alone in this regard.”