A British technology entrepreneur of Nigerian descent, Joel Popoola, has said fake news on social media may negatively impact the general elections.
Popoola, creator of a democracy app, Rate Your Leader, in a statement, said the app is a global online platform that helps politicians to engage voters in their constituencies in an abuse-proof way.
The entrepreneur noted that the unwillingness of social media giants to crack down on fake news has adverse effects on users.
He said with more than 40 million Nigerians using Facebook, the fake news phenomenon could affect the presidential election.
Popoola said: “Around the world, from President Donald Trump’s supporters in America to Jeune Gillets in France, to Brexit’s supporters in the United Kingdom, people are feeling more and more out of touch with politics; and it is only a matter of time until something similar reaches Nigeria.
“One in three Nigerians uses Facebook; and technology offers the opportunity to connect politicians and people like never before. That dichotomy is driven by social media giants being unwilling, unable or both, to effectively crack down on trolls and bots.
“Democracy is now digital, which means social media companies have a responsibility to provide a safe space for both politicians and our democracy and they are evidently failing on both fronts.”
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