CP Mohammed Gumel

By Maduabuchi Nmeribeh/Kano

Kano state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Muhammad Usaini Gumel has advocated for strict regulation of the social media, decrying the extent of misinformation, hate-speech and defamation of character that are allowed to flow freely on the social media platforms.

While agreeing that Social Media platforms have their advantages, the Kano police boss frowned at the damage being caused to humanity and the nation following avalanche of unedited information that are allowed to pass through the platforms.

Mr. Gumel spoke on Saturday during a lecture forum entitled: “The Perils of Social Media, Consequences of Defamation and Spreading of Falsehood,” at Forum for Social Media Ethics, Community Awareness for Positive Change for the teeming Youths of Gumel Emirate Facebook Connect Initiative 2023

In his paper entitled: “Social media, a game-changer tool while its misuse surest way to regret,” Mr. Gumel maintained that no one is in doubt on the belief that Social Media has transformed the society from the traditional way of ya communication and brought about revolutionized approach to media use.

According to him, it has opened up fresh hopes from which the people raise their (dis)agreements, share their feelings and perceptions, and, in some cases, unmask falsehoods. Social media platforms such as the Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and the likes, have allowed people to create, share and exchange information, ideas and more importantly pictures and videos over various networks and platforms at their disposal.

He, however, added that the gap is yet to be filled because a significant number of youths that interact on social media platforms, know little or nothing about the legal framework that guide the upright use and the consequences of its misuse.

He further stated that: “It is convincing facts that some of the news and views spread so rapidly through the social media platforms keep causing turbulence and social disharmony among citizens.

“Although the social media have advantages with recognizable multiple merits, the perils however, need not only to be more highlighted but also be tackled with prudence. We are all aware that the ability of the social media products consumers are still immature in this century to effectively coordinate the massive information sent to them in text messages, Facebook posts and tweets, etc.

“This is because they keep utilizing them without verifying the authenticity of the contents that could, in some cases, be harmful to them or the society. There are numerous instances where the social media has created social turbulence, and resulting in social unrest and sudden rise of online crimes that pose grave threats to the contemporary developing society.”

He noted that there are records of cases of online harassment of eminent citizens and political personalities through the various modes of social media by the actors exemplifying the behaviour and social sickness of a society.

” This sort of online pestering comprises of threat, religious-based abusive statements, hate speeches, blackmail and sometimes upload of morphed pictures etc. Those acting this way should always remember that not all victims overlook the damaging effects, and harmful consequences of those actions on their individual and collective fundamental freedoms,” he added.

According to him: “The distressing situation is that government has no or limited control to restrain social media sites except complete shutdown of the internet or ban a particular platform in case of violation.

“As a result, the social media has regularly been employed by adversaries of the state as well as non-state actors who, in most cases, create misinformation, fictitious narratives, hate propaganda, inciting fear, false alarm, infuse mutual distrust, etc. These started to impact the various facet of human life and day to day functioning of societies, which further destabilized national integration and security of a country.”