Why Federal Government Needs To Regulate Social Media – Lai Mohammed

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration has no plan to shut down social media.

The Minister in his statement on Saturday in Lagos noted that the Federal Government respects freedom of the press.

He, however, stated that the current administration has plans to regulate social media and avoid it from being used for fake news and hate speech.

He said:-

“We did not at any time say that we will shut down the social media.”

“Social media has come to stay and it will be an attack on democracy to shut it down because it is the fastest way of passing out information all over the world.”

“However, it must be regulated to avoid it being used in a manner that it becomes a supplier of fake news and hate speech.”

“Also, we will not fold our arms to allow suppliers of fake news and hate speech to use social media to throw the country into chaos.”