In order to curb the spread of fake news during the
forthcoming general elections in Nigeria, Facebook
has said only advertisers located in Nigeria would
be allowed to run political advertisements on the
social media site, says a news report published by
Reuters.


It has become an unwholesome practice, globally, to
see groups with vested interests try to influence
elections in different countries, through fake news
targeting potential voters.


There were reports last year of how a London-
based data mining and analytic firm, SCL, which is
the parent company of Cambridge Analytica, tried to
rig the 2015 Nigerian presidential election in favour
of the incumbent president, Goodluck Jonathan.


The firm, said to have been hired to do the dirty job
by an unnamed Nigerian oil billionaire who was
afraid of Mr. Jonathan losing the election, planted
fake news on social media sites to scare voters
from voting for the opposition candidate,


Muhammadu Buhari, who eventually won the
election.

Nigeria’s presidential election holds on February 16.
Mr Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is
running for re-election. His main challenger is the
country’s former vice president Atiku Abubakar of
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Reuters quoted Katie Harbath, Facebook’s director
of global politics and outreach, as saying that
beginning on Wednesday in Nigeria, only advertisers
located in the country will be able to run political
adverts on the social media site.

Ms Harbath said the decision mirrors a policy
unveiled during an Irish referendum last May.
The same policy will take effect in Ukraine in
February, according to Reuters. Ukraine is holding
its presidential election on March 31.

“We’re learning from every country. We know we’re
not going to be perfect, but our goal is continuing,
ongoing improvement,” Ms Harbath said.

Apart from control over advert sources, Facebook
would be deploying other tools to curb election
interference in Nigeria and other countries.
It is, however, unclear to what extent these
measures would help curb the influence of fake
news on Nigerian voters.


The spread of fake news has become a disturbing
phenomenon globally.


https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/306117-facebook-announces-measures-to-check-fake-news-in-nigerias-elections.html

boman2014:
In order to curb the spread of fake news during the
forthcoming general elections in Nigeria, Facebook
has said only advertisers located in Nigeria would
be allowed to run political advertisements on the
social media site, says a news report published by
Reuters.


It has become an unwholesome practice, globally, to
see groups with vested interests try to influence
elections in different countries, through fake news
targeting potential voters.


There were reports last year of how a London-
based data mining and analytic firm, SCL, which is
the parent company of Cambridge Analytica, tried to
rig the 2015 Nigerian presidential election in favour
of the incumbent president, Goodluck Jonathan.


The firm, said to have been hired to do the dirty job
by an unnamed Nigerian oil billionaire who was
afraid of Mr. Jonathan losing the election, planted
fake news on social media sites to scare voters
from voting for the opposition candidate,


Muhammadu Buhari, who eventually won the
election.

Nigeria’s presidential election holds on February 16.
Mr Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is
running for re-election. His main challenger is the
country’s former vice president Atiku Abubakar of
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Reuters quoted Katie Harbath, Facebook’s director
of global politics and outreach, as saying that
beginning on Wednesday in Nigeria, only advertisers
located in the country will be able to run political
adverts on the social media site.

Ms Harbath said the decision mirrors a policy
unveiled during an Irish referendum last May.
The same policy will take effect in Ukraine in
February, according to Reuters. Ukraine is holding
its presidential election on March 31.

“We’re learning from every country. We know we’re
not going to be perfect, but our goal is continuing,
ongoing improvement,” Ms Harbath said.

Apart from control over advert sources, Facebook
would be deploying other tools to curb election
interference in Nigeria and other countries.
It is, however, unclear to what extent these
measures would help curb the influence of fake
news on Nigerian voters.


The spread of fake news has become a disturbing
phenomenon globally.


https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/306117-facebook-announces-measures-to-check-fake-news-in-nigerias-elections.html

That is a nice and welcome development from facebook.