20 March 2020

Stop Intox on social media #MyMadagascar #MahajangaMaVille

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Stop Intox on social networks

The planet "Facebook" warning

Stop Intox on social networks

Andriamanohisoa Raherijaona,MPTDN(Post Office, of Telecommunications and the digital development) warns troublemakers on the internet. Stop Intox on social networks !

Activists and whistleblowers must moderate their remarks in order to preserve public order. The authorities will be strict on drifts on the web.

Warning.

The authorities sent, yesterday, a strong signal to social media users. They spoke to Facebook users in particular. The risks of disinformation practices to disturb public order are considerable.

"Faced with the fragile situation of the country in relation to the pandemic that threatens, Personal accounts, pages and other discussion groups with false information will be blocked immediately. The MPTDN will report the accounts, authors of these gossips to the company Facebook. The latter will judge whether or not the information is true. The Cybercrime Cell, for its part, will take care of prosecutions and penalties for crimes. Freedom of opinion is an acquired right. There are a, However, circumstances that are detrimental to public life that must be controlled". This was announced by Andriamanohisoa Raherijaona, Post Office Minister, of Telecommunications and the digital development.

The initiative of this ministerial department thus joins the social network's policy in the face of the.

The war against coronavirus will also have to take place on the web. Many rumors about the pandemic are currently circulating on Facebook, YouTube and others.

Concern

However, all other controversial topics that could disturb public order are also part of this censorship initiated jointly by Facebook and the MPTDN. It is then a question of, for activists, whistleblowers and other influencers to cross-check their information correctly before sharing it.

"The subject is particularly sensitive. In the event of a pandemic, someone who is ill-informed could contract the disease or contaminate a person with false advice", points out a savvy Internet user.

Another influencer worries that this action could raise questions about the very concept of freedom of expression “the impartiality of the ministry is a subject of debate but, as it is a national security situation in the face of the pandemic, everyone must submit. On the other hand, it is still difficult to distinguish between the true and the false on social networks.". Overwhelmed, Facebook can count on the cooperation of governments to perfect the moderation of harmful posts on the web.

In some countries, like South Africa, disinformation on the subject of coronavirus is considered to be a criminal act, punishable by criminal sanction. The "fact-checking" reflex that verifies the veracity of the statements or actions of certain important characters thus becomes a citizen's act that the entire Facebook planet should adopt.

About two million three hundred thousand Malagasy use social networks. Near 70% of these people, or a million six hundred thousand souls, are on Facebook by constituting nearly 6% of the population who must act civilly in the use of these networks to avoid disturbing public order.