FG, Google Synergise to Checkmate Subversive YouTube Channels

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The federal government is collaborating with Google to curb the excesses of subversive YouTube channels which are used to spread hate

and disinformation against the country.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated yesterday when a team from Google visited him in Abuja that both the Federal Government and Google shared

the same concern on the responsible use of Social Media.

He said the federal government expects Google to look into how to tackle the use of private and unlisted YouTube channels and YouTube livestreams by proscribed groups and terrorist organisations.

“Channels and emails containing names of proscribed groups and their affiliates should not be allowed on Google platforms,” Mohammed said.

The minister, who noted that Google is a platform of choice for IPOB, a proscribed terrorist group, implored the tech giant to deny

IPOB the use of its platform for its acts of violence and destabilisation.

He said Nigerians are among the most vibrant social media users in the world, with over 100 million Internet users in the country, and that

internet platforms such as Google, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter and WhatsApp enable Nigerians to interact, share ideas, earn a living and

participate in social and political affairs.

He, however, expressed concern that those platforms are coveted by unscrupulous persons or groups for subversive and nefarious activities.

He said the Nigerian government recently proposed a “Code of Practice for Interactive Computer Service Platforms/Internet Intermediaries” in an attempt to provide a framework for collaboratively protecting Nigerian users of Internet platforms.

“This code couldn’t have come at a better time, as the country prepares for general elections next year. We are committed to working

with platforms like yours as well as the civil society, lawyers, media practitioners and other relevant stakeholders to ensure a responsible

use of the Internet and to protect our people from the harmful effects of social media,” he said.

In his remarks, Google Regional Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, Government Affairs and Public Policy, Mr. Charles Murito, said the

platform has introduced a programme called “Trusted Flaggers” for citizens trained to track and engage with online contents in order to

flag contents of serious concern.

Murito said Google shared the same sentiments, goals and objectives with the federal government and would not want its platform to be used

for ill purposes.

On his part, Google Government Affairs and Public Policy Manager, Mr. Adewolu Adene, said “Equiano”, a subsea cable which recently

berthed in Nigeria from Portugal, is aimed at enhancing connectivity and access to the internet as well as to drive down the cost of data,

in order to create jobs and facilitate the transfer of knowledge.

He said through the Google News Initiative Challenge, 30 media platforms, with five from Nigeria, including the Dubawa fact-checking

platform, would be awarded a $3.2 million grant in recognition of their innovative work in information dissemination.

He also pledged the readiness of Google to work with the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture to digitise the recently-repatriated artifacts in order to preserve and market them to a global audience through Google Arts and Culture.