Stage 1
→
13:00 - 13:30
English
Talk
Everyone
Like. Share. Kill: When Disinformation Turns Deadly
Short thesis
In the US, Asia, and Europe, Facebook has come under intense scrutiny for its role in the circulation of “fake news”. But what happens when viral disinformation spreads through regions in Africa already in the midst of ethnic violence?
Description
When Mark Zuckerberg touched down in Lagos, Nigeria in 2016 there were 16 million monthly Facebook users in Nigeria. Today, there are 24 million.
But more users means more content, and a lot of that content, according to the Nigerian police in the crisis hit Plateau state, is false, misleading and dangerous.
This session will focus on ‘Like.Share.Kill,’ BBC Africa Eye’s investigation on the devastating impact of this false content communities in Plateau state, what social media companies like Facebook are doing to stem the tide of misinformation on their platforms and if their strategies are working.