Social Media
#EndSARS: Groups embark on reconciliatory visit to affected states
African Children Talent Discovery Foundation (ACTDF), an NGO, in Collaboration with Nigerians in Diaspora Mentoring Corp (NidMeCorp) have began nationwide reconciliatory visits to some states affected by the EndSARS protest. Founder of the foundation, Mr Noah Dallaji made the disclosure while addressing newsmen on Monday in Abuja, Dallaji said that the visit was for the sake of nation and collective wellbeing and to avoid further damage to lives and properties. He said the group visited to Lagos State due to the Lekki Tollgate incidents and met with various groups to find a lasting solution to the issues that were played up as aftermath of the #Endsars protest. He also said that the group met with stakeholders in the entertainment industry focusing on social media influencers to with vario...
#EndSARS: Why Nigerian government didn’t shut down social media during protests – minister
File Photo Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, has said the Federal Government had the option of shutting down the social media space during the #EndSARS protests but chose not to tread the path. Dare, who spoke on Monday while featuring on Channels Television’s programme Sunrise Daily, said the government did that to allow freedom of expression. He said other countries had taken certain measures to exercise some level of restraint over the cyberspace but Nigeria has not done so. The minister, however, said the internet and the social media have tremendous benefits but “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 create chaos out of mischief in our country.” He sai...
Nigerian government clarifies position on social media regulation
File Photo 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 purveyor of fake news and hate speech. The Minister of Imformation 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. Newsmen report 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 miscon...
Twitter Changes ‘Hacked Materials’ Policy After Republican Snowflakes Cried About Blocked Tweets
Source: PRAKASH SINGH / Getty Twitter has been pretty firm on its strong stance against sharing misinformation and straight-up nonsense on its service that could impact the presidential election. But the social media company had to revise one of its policies following some belly-aching from right-wing snowflakes. This week the New York Post, who isn’t shy about their love for Donald Trump, dropped a story about Hunter Biden that got its information from emails from a real shady source *coughs* Rudy Guiliani. Twitter wasn’t here for it and began blocking links to the fake news shared by right-wing accounts claiming that it violated its policies when it comes to sharing “hacked materials.” As expected, Republican officials cried about Twitter blocking the story and claimed that Twitter was o...
Fake “Blacks For Trump” Accounts Using Digital Black Face Busted On Twitter
Source: Pacific Press / Getty When it comes to finding “Black Trump Supporters,” it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack, but they do exist. On social media, though, it would seem they are more prevalent than believed, but it turns out they are as real as a Louis Vuitton bag on Canal Street. Wednesday (October 14), Forbes reported that Twitter has removed several accounts claiming to be Black supporters of the super-spreader-in-chief Donald Trump, claiming they violate spam and account manipulation guidelines. The accounts were using photos of real Black people, aka digital Black face, and all were pushing the same message “YES I’M BLACK AND I’M VOTING FOR TRUMP.” Darren Linvill, a Clemson University communications professor, revealed that two dozen of the accounts have been retweeted...
We Here For This?: Facebook Unveils Cross-Platform Messaging For Messenger & Instagram
Source: Facebook / Instagram If you have wished that Facebook would combine Messenger and Instagram DMs, then this news will sit well with you. Announced Wednesday (Sept.30), Facebook officially launched its new cross-messaging platform to combine both its Messenger and Instagram’s DM feature. Despite being “launched” today, select users will be able to utilize the overhauled IG DM feature that now features tools that were once only available on Facebook Messenger. Now when you hop in someone’s DMs on the gram, you can look forward to using tools like new chat colors, selfie stickers, custom emojis, vanishing messages, a new way to block unwanted messages. Plus, the new Watch Together feature will you and a friend to watch videos together while conducting a video call. Users will also now ...
Why APC ‘suspended’ Ekiti governor
The State Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has suspended Governor Kayode Fayemi. Fayemi was accused of holding meetings and fraternising with PDP members like Femi Fani-Kayode (FFK), Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike. According the statement, Fayemi was suspended due to “his numerous anti-party activities, especially his role in the recently concluded governorship election in Edo State which is contrary to the provisions of Article 21 (A) (ii) of the APC constitution.” The Ekiti chapter of the APC claims that five days before the Edo election, Fayemi hosted FFK in government house Ekiti. “For five days prior to the Edo election, Gov Fayemi hosted PDP big wig Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode in the government house in Ado Ekit...
Man lands in jail for posing as female
Justice Sikiru Oyinloye of the Kwara State High Court has sentenced a 29-year-old man, Usman Muhammed, to jail for posing as a lady and using nude pictures to dupe men. Muhammed was arrested at his residence in Abeokuta, Ogun state, according to an operative of the EFCC. EFCC’s counsel, Adenike Ayoku stated that the defendant is an internet fraudster, who pretended to be female and used female nude photographs to fraudulently obtain money from unsuspecting internet users as evidenced in his Facebook and WhatsApp accounts. He was then prosecuted by the Ilorin zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a one-count charge of impersonation. The charge read, “That you, Usman Muhammed (a.k.a Adepeju Omolara and Guns Omolara Valle), sometime in February 2020 or thereab...
IOM: Social media pushing youths out of Nigeria
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) says social media is a major tool influencing young Nigerians to leave Nigeria. Franz Celestin, IOM Chief of Mission, said this in an interview with newsmen. Citing the number of Nigerian returnees from Libya, Celestin stated that their reason for migration could not have been poverty or insecurity. He disclosed most were from Southern parts of the country whose states were more secured and economically viable. The IOM boss observed that young Nigerians get easily moved by ‘success stories’ people post on social media. Celestin said that in spite of the North-East situation, statistics showed that less people were migrating from the region. “One of the strongest push for migration is aspiration and not just poverty, conflict or disasters. ...
City of Los Angeles Brings Charges Against TikTok Influencers Who Threw Illegal House Parties
The Los Angeles City Attorney has brought charges against two prominent TikTok influencers, Bryce Hall (21) and Blake Gray (19). The young men threw a series of parties — including a massive birthday bash — in defiance of emergency pandemic orders. As TMZ reports, both have been slapped with one misdemeanor for violating a local ordinance. They’ve also each been issued a noise citation. The city described the charges as a “crackdown on party houses.” The biggest of the bashes took place August 14th at “Sway House”, a $50,000-a-month rental in the Hollywood Hills. It’s occupied by a small collective of hard-partying, often shirtless TikTok influencers, including Gray and Hall. The party was thrown in honor of Hall’s 21st birthday and his first legal consumption of alcohol. The resulting bac...
Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh Was in ICU for COVID-19, Recovery Disturbed by TikTok Party House
Bryce Hall’s “Sway House” crew (photo via Instagram) and Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh (photo by Heather Kaplan) Buried in a story about how obnoxious young social media stars can be (surprise!) is a report that Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh apparently had a severe bout with COVID-19. Mothersbaugh’s wife, Anita, revealed the news to The Daily Mail, saying her 70-year-old husband came “close to death” while in the ICU in June. “This virus is no joke, I’ve experienced it first-hand,” she told the tabloid paper. “There was a week where my daughters thought he would die.” All this despite Devo having their own line of energy dome face shields. So why is this coming out now? Because rich youths are inconsiderate, privileged, jagoffs, that’s why. The Daily Mail’s story is ac...
DSS quizzes Don Jazzy, Tiwa Savage over ‘political statement’
Music producer Don Jazzy and singer Tiwa Savage have been cautioned against making social media comments against the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, after an invitation by the Department of State Security, DSS. Tiwa Savage earned the invitation after she ran a campaign, ‘WeAreTired’, in reaction to a rise in cases of rape in the country. She also made social media posts to draw the attention of the Buhari administration to the issue. The singer and Don Jazzy were invited to the Lagos office of the DSS where they were warned to be mindful of the kind of posts they make on social media. Since the meeting with the DSS at their Shangisha office two weeks ago, Tiwa Savage has not continued with the campaign against rape, while Don Jazzy has toned down his activities on Twitter. Sh...