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The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare has given reasons why the federal government did not shut down the social media during the #EndSARS protest.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Dare was speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily when he said the government had the option of shutting down the social media space in Nigeria during the #EndSARS protests but chose not.
Stressing that other countries had taken certain measures to exercise some levels of restraint over the cyberspace but that Nigeria was yet to do so, Dare said the government observed restraint to allow freedom of expression.
“The issue of fake news is bothersome for the government and the protests brought home the dangers of fake news. The talk around regulation, of course, we have a National Assembly, it will have to go through the normal process.
“We have a constitution, we have to make sure it does not violate certain provisions of the constitution that has to do with freedom of expression.
“Where you have fake news destroying lives, the government has a responsibility to make sure that there is a level of control. It is not censorship but some level of control,” the minister said.
Mr Dare said the internet and social media have tremendous benefits but that as a country, we must start to think of how to curtail fake news.
“There must be some level of responsibility and some level of punishment to those that will create chaos out of mischief in our country,” he said.
He noted the fact that the Nigerian youths used social media to drive the recent # EndSARS protests against police brutality saying while that was commendable, the cyberspace must be regulated.
The minister added, “The fact that our youths used it to mobilise is commendable. But the talk about the regulation of the social media has been around for a while.
“We’ve seen other countries taking practical steps in that direction, this country has not done that. Even during the # EndSARS protests, the country had an option (but) the country never went for that final option.
“There was no time the cyberspace was shut down, people were still able to connect themselves through the various social media platforms. And that shows a government that is committed to the rights of freedom and association of every citizen of this country”.