Meta’s fact-checking policy shift raises misinformation concerns in Nigeria – Groups warn

The move, they argue, could exacerbate the spread of misinformation and hate speech, particularly in African nations like Nigeria.

Speaking on behalf of the National Online Safety Coalition on Friday in Abuja, Ms. Shirley Ewang highlighted the severe implications of Meta’s decision.

“We noted that social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp, with tens of millions of Nigerian users, remain central to the country’s information ecosystem and can be weaponised without adequate fact-checking and content moderation,” she said. 

Ewang emphasized that fact-checking should not be viewed as censorship but as an essential safeguard to protect society from harm. She urged Meta to reinstate its fact-checking programs without delay

“The stakes are too high to allow the dissemination of misinformation to go unchecked,” she said. 

Meta recently announced a shift from third-party fact-checking to a “Community Notes” system, which allows users to collaboratively add context to potentially misleading posts across platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated that the change aims to reduce excessive censorship. The previous reliance on independent fact-checkers had led to the suppression of harmless content and impeded free expression.

Meta’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, Joel Kaplan, highlighted the success Community Note has had on a platform like X, formerly Twitter.

However, the policy shift has sparked significant controversy, with critics expressing concerns that eliminating professional fact-checkers could enable the unchecked spread of harmful content.

“African governments must act now to protect their citizens and preserve the integrity of democracy,” she added.