If you’re wondering why Facebook and Instagram apps are filtering your mentions or flagging posts of the hashtags related to the #EndSARS protests over the past 24 hours, all we can say is you’re not crazy and we’re all asking the same questions.
A Facebook spokesperson confirmed to VICE News that the #EndSARS hashtag had been incorrectly flagged.” We are aware of an issue where some posts in support of #EndSARS are being incorrectly flagged as false in our systems. We are working quickly to resolve this,” the spokesperson said.
The issue has been sparked up by multiple social media users who have voiced out on via other platforms about the targeted silencing of a peaceful movement turned bloody due to the interference of the Nigerian army at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos. The protests which started two weeks ago has been non-violent so far, and has sparked a nation wide revolution and general consciousness amongst many young Nigerians. All they were asking for, is that the Nigerian government to reform the police and put an end to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS)—a rogue unit of the police force that has extorted and killed hundreds of Nigerian youths.
Conspiracy? or Propaganda Machine?
Two days ago, the Nigerian army recently announced a cyber-warfare team designed to identify, track and counter negative propaganda on social media and the internet, this campaign has allowed the arm to claim verified videos and pictures of police shooting ar unarmed protesters are fake.
More Branches has been a victim of this, yesterday random accounts commented on confirmed videos we posted of peaceful civilians being killed, claiming they were fake and warning viewers to disregard. You can see some of these tweets below.
Could this be the reason Facebook is deciding what side of the truth to tell?
According to Vice, It’s not the first time that Facebook has inaccurately flagged content from activists. Just last week, Facebook admitted that it mistakenly marked posts by the Sunrise Movement group in Sacramento as going against its Community Standards, again without explaining how that happened.
It would be wrong for Facebook to oppose the truth and allow the military who are clearly guilty of countless deaths to create chaos and fake news spread. It is also important to ask some pertinent questions; Facebook doesn’t have any physical representation in Nigeria yet until march 2021 but they have third-party partnerships with a few Nigerian media platforms and fact checkers — they are the easiest link and the only ones with such powers to alert Facebook.