A former director-general of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Professor Armstrong Idachaba, has proposed regulatory measures to address cyberbullying, trolling, sexting and online pornography.
Adachaba, who is a Professor of Mass Communication at Veritas University, Abuja, stated this when he presented a paper on ‘Media Utilisation in the Era of Media Convergence – Fear and Opportunities,’ recently in Abuja, regretting that people use social media to foment trouble instead of advancing friendship and meaningful connection.
“The biggest threat of social media is in the area of the content it spurns out, the use of the social media seems to be a double-edged sword, bringing good and providing fears. Cyberbulling, trolling, sexting, internet addictions, cybercrime, online pornography, fake news, hate speech, rumour mongering, negative imitations and violence, etc.
“Before Facebook started enforcing its community rules on violence, many of us recount with trepidation the horrific violence that happened at New Zealand when a youth connected his camera to his facebook account and streamed live the rather animalistic killing of human beings at a mosque,” he said.
He, therefore, said regulatory agencies should look into “the following guidelines, towards the following – Protection of freedom of expression, Prohibition of outlawed practices and domestication of community guidelines to recognize specific outlawed practices, like indecent dressing.
“Hate speech and incitement to violence promote ethical use of social media, to check misinformation and disinformation need for fact checking, transparency and accountability, data privacy and security user verification and accountability, content moderation.
“Ensure fair and transparent algorithms promote on line safety for students and staff, collaboration with govt and civil society, support culture and local content.
“There should be digital literacy and education, emergency response protocols, collaboration with social media platforms, protection of vulnerable population, conventional processes and rules for adaptation have been jettisoned.
“Makers of mediated content, producers and makers of technology, mediated product consumers and indeed those who formulate media policies must seek continued adaptive means for the maximisation of converged media.”
According to him, “here at Veritas University, social media usage has been sometime very effective, socialising, informative, enlightening and educating. Unfortunately, it is also sometime very contentious and controversial.”