TheNewsGuru

Tag: Hate Speech

  • Hate speech: Facebook to remedy menace in Myanmar

    Facebook has been “too slow” to address hate speech in Myanmar and is acting to remedy the problem by hiring more Burmese speakers and investing in technology to identify problematic content, the company said in a statement on Thursday.

    The acknowledgement came a day after a Reuters investigation showed why the company has failed to stem a wave of vitriolic posts about the minority Rohingya.

    Some 700,000 Rohingya fled their homes last year after an army crackdown that the United States denounced as ethnic cleansing. The Rohingya now live in teeming refugee camps in Bangladesh.

    “The ethnic violence in Myanmar is horrific and we have been too slow to prevent misinformation and hate speech on Facebook,” Facebook said.

    The Reuters story revealed the social media giant for years dedicated scant resources to combating hate speech in Myanmar, which is a market it dominates and where there have been repeated eruptions of ethnic violence.

    In early 2015, for instance, there were only two people at Facebook who could speak Burmese monitoring problematic posts.

    In Thursday’s statement, posted online, Facebook said it was using tools to automatically detect hate speech and hiring more Burmese-language speakers to review posts, following up on a pledge made by founder Mark Zuckerberg to US senators in April.

    The company said that it had over 60 “Myanmar language experts” in June and plans to have at least 100 by the end of the year.

    Reuters found more than 1,000 examples of posts, comments, images and videos denigrating and attacking the Rohingya and other Muslims that were on the social media platform as of last week.

    Some of the material, which included pornographic anti-Muslim images, has been up on Facebook for as long as six years.

    There are numerous posts that call the Rohingya and other Muslims dogs and rapists, and urge they be exterminated.

    Facebook currently doesn’t have a single employee in Myanmar, relying instead on an outsourced, secretive operation in Kuala Lumpur – called Project Honey Badger – to monitor hate speech and other problematic posts, the Reuters investigation showed.

    Because Facebook’s systems struggle to interpret Burmese script, the company is heavily dependent on users reporting hate speech in Myanmar.

    Researchers and human rights activists say they have been warning Facebook for years about how its platform was being used to spread hatred against the Rohingya and other Muslims in Myanmar.

    In its statement on Thursday, Facebook said it had banned a number of Myanmar hate figures and organisations from the platform.

     

  • Sultan warns Kaduna politicians against hate speech

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar has urged Kaduna politicians to focus on promoting democracy in preparation for the 2019 general elections and shun hate speech.

    He made this known while presenting his address at the Annual Pre-Ramadan lectures organised by the Jama’atul Nasirul Islam (JNI) in Kaduna on Tuesday.

    He decried the attitude portrayed by politicians in Kaduna, describing it as worrisome and disturbing.

    Abubakar called on them (Kaduna politicians) to make peace and stop the hate speech because Kaduna was key to the survival of the region.

    “The attitude of politicians is becoming worrisome and disturbing, especially what is happening in Kaduna should stop.

    “Kaduna politicians should close their ranks and stop the hate speech because Kaduna is key to the survival of the region,” he said.

    The monarch also called for caution on the use of social media among the people, as politicians would do everything to promote religious, tribal, ethnic sentiments.

  • Death penalty: Gov. Fayose faults proposed hate speech bill

    Governor Peter Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has faulted Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi-sponsored bill that recommends death penalty for purveyors of hate speech.

    In a statement today, Fayose said public office holders are responsible to the people, and hence, there is need for the people to assess and tell those in power the truth, whether it augur with them or not.

    “Those of us occupying public offices are doing so in trust for the people, we are not their lords. The power of the people is greater than the power of the people in power.

    “When you say the truth to power, tell those of us in power what we are doing wrong, it is not Hate Speech. Rather, it is patriotism.

    “If you are in power and afraid of Nigerians telling you the bitter truth, resign and go to your house,” the Ekiti state executive Governor said.

    TheNewsGuru reports the hate speech bill proposes that anyone found guilty of any form of hate speech could face death by hanging upon conviction.

    Senator Abdullahi explaining why death penalty was included in the bill said the hate speech bill has slated some processes which must be exhausted before a person is subjected to the maximum punishment.

    “On this issue of Hate Speech, I stand with Nigerians and anything they say to make the country better,” Fayose, however, said.

     

  • Hate speech: Why I sponsored ‘Death by Hanging’ bill – Senator Abdullahi

    Sabi Abdullahi, the senator who introduced a bill for the establishment of Independent National Commission for Hate Speeches, has explained why a penalty of death sentence was included in the bill.

    The proposed commission would enforce hate speech laws across the country, and ensure the “elimination” of hate speech, the bill says.

    The bill which passed for second reading at the Senate prescribed death by hanging for any person found guilty of any form of hate speech that results in the death of another person.

    Since the introduction of the bill, Nigerians have raised doubts on its intention. They argued that the bill was intended to hunt down critics of the government.

    Prominent in the voices was that of a former minister of aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, who accused the President Muhammadu Buhari of turning Nigeria to a North Korea.

    An ardent critic of the APC administration, Mr. Fani-Kayode criticised the bill on his Twitter Handle.

    “Now they want to pass a law that prescribes the death penalty for calling a demon a demon,” he wrote.

    “They call it “hate speech” because they “hate it” when we call a spade a spade, tell them what they are and expose their barbarity. Buhari wants Nig. to be like N. Korea. He hates free speech!”

    However, Mr. Abdullahi has disagreed with the critics.

    Instead, he explained that the bill has slated some processes which must be exhausted before a person is subjected to the maximum punishment.

    Contrary to public view that the bill provides that ‘all persons who make hate speeches would die by hanging’, the Senate spokesperson said the penalty is only for those who are found guilty of any form of hate speech that results in the death of another person after judicial processes in a Federal High Court.

    “The issue there is that why not death penalty when you are responsible for deaths of other people,” he asked rhetorically. “After all, our present law says if you do anything that result in the death of another person and it is proven beyond reasonable doubt that you caused the death of that person, the penalty is death by hanging.

    “It is very clear. It has to be proven that there is hate speech, it has to be proven that the hate speech led to the death of that person. There is a condition that it has to be proven beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law. The jurisdiction of the bill is the Federal High Court.”

    Mr. Abdullahi said that those who are criticising the bill are doing so because they haven’t experienced loss of a relative to violence instigated by hate speech.

    “People who may be having some opposing views about it definitely are not in the category of people who have lost dear ones and family or livelihood to similar circumstances. If they are, I think they will be saying how I wish this was in place before this thing happened to me.”

    Mr. Abdullahi denounced the notion that such law, after the bill has passed through legislative and executive processes, would be wielded by politicians to victimise their critics.

    He added that the bill will serve as a preventive measure to deaths arising from violence started by hate speeches.

    “We are also careful not to allow anybody take that and think he can continuously use it to oppress other people for whatever reason,” he said.

    “That (victimisation) is not possible, the bill does not leave it as an administrative act. The jurisdiction here is purely before the Federal High Court. The commission is independent and nobody can direct or influence it. The moment it is put in place, no authority can give it directives. It is independently empowered.

    “They have processes through which they will do conciliations, and where there are conciliations between parties, they have to sign agreement as an undertaking to abide by whatever terms and conditions are agreed upon with that conciliation. But where it becomes necessary that a person needs to be charged to court, it must be the Federal High Court for prosecution and at the court, you are entitled to your counsel.

    “The commission is expected to do conciliation first and that is why they are also expected to monitor under their functions and when they monitor and see different kinds of people who are already going in the way of hate speech, they will draw cautions.

    ‘’By the time you get about five people that some people are involved in this kind of speech and they are being asked to refrain which they did, then you can see that we are already taking preventive measures.”

  • Hate speech: IPC warns against bill, calls for release of Tony Ezimakor

    The International Press Centre (IPC) Lagos-Nigeria has called on the Senate to drop the proposed hate speech bill that seeks to recommend death sentence for purveyors of hate speech.

    The bill which is being sponsored by Senate Spokesperson, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi proposes that anyone found guilty of any form of hate speech could face death by hanging upon conviction.

    The Director of IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, in a statement today (March 2, 2018) said what the country needs today is engagement by multiple stakeholders to determine what actually constitutes hate speech and agree on effective measures for dealing with such. “A draconian law that hallmarks dictatorship cannot be the solution to hate speech in a democratic society”, Mr. Arogundade stressed.

    The IPC Director also said that should such a bill become a law it would certainly pose a major threat to freedom of expression, freedom of the press and safety of journalists.

    “Much as we do not welcome hate speech, we do not also welcome a law that would gag citizens and deny the public the right to know”, Mr. Arogundade added.

    …Detention of Tony Ezimakor

    The IPC Director has also called for the release of Tony Ezimakor (Daily Independent’s Abuja Bureau Chief) who was arrested and detained by the Department of State Services headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, February 28 after honouring an invitation from the security agency.

    Mr. Arogundade said in the alternative, the DSS should immediately charge Mr. Ezimakor to court if the agency is convinced that he has committed any offence known to the law of the country.

  • Hate Speech: Sanction erring stations, FG tells NBC

    Hate Speech: Sanction erring stations, FG tells NBC

    The Federal Government on Thursday directed the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to sanction any radio or television station that broadcasts hate speech.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, issued the directive in Abuja at the Annual Lecture Series of the NBC and the 25th Anniversary of the Commission.

    The minister said that the directive was part of efforts to stem the growing tide of hate speech in the country.

    “As a matter of fact, the challenges facing the NBC have never become more daunting, considering the increasing propensity of some radio and television stations across the country to turn over their platforms to the purveyors of hate speech.

    “It is the responsibility of the NBC to put these broadcast stations in check before they set the country on fire.

    “As the NBC celebrates what is a milestone – a quarter of a century – in its existence, I urge the Commission to redouble its efforts in discharging its mandate.

    “The NBC must ensure a strict adherence to the Broadcasting Code, and errant stations must be sanctioned accordingly to serve as a deterrent.

    “The nation looks up to the NBC to restore sanity to the broadcast industry. The Commission cannot afford to do any less at this critical time. It cannot afford to fail the nation,” he said.

    The minister cited the ignominious role played by a radio station in fuelling the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 which led to the loss of over 800,000 lives in 100 days.

    He, therefore, charged the NBC not to allow the purveyors of hate speech to lead Nigeria to the path of destruction.

    “If you tune into many radio stations, for example, you will be shocked by the things being said, the careless incitement to violence and the level of insensitivity to the multi-religious, multi-ethnic nature of our country.

    “Unfortunately, even some of the hosts of such radio programmes do little or nothing to stop such incitements.

    “Oftentimes, they are willing collaborators of hate speech campaigners. This must not be allowed to continue because it is detrimental to the unity and well-being of our country,” he said.

    Speaking earlier, the Director-General, NBC, Ishaq Modibbo-Kawu said that the commission was committed to carrying out its statutory mandate of regulating the broadcast industry.

    He said that the Commission would also ensure that the Digital Switch Over in TV broadcasting was achieved to create a national digital economy.

    The pioneer director-general of the commission, Chief Tom Adaba expressed satisfaction that the commission, which started 25 years back with no guiding template, had become a reference point in broadcasting regulation in Africa.

     

    NAN

  • We are monitoring social media conversations, posts for hate speech – Military

    Sequel to President Muhammadu Buhari’s speech on Monday that the social media is fast becoming a tool for promotion of hate speech, the military has stated that it will henceforth monitor the social media interactions of people to detect promoters of hate speech.

    Director of Defence Information, Major-General John Enenche, made the revelation on Channels Television’s News at 10 on Wednesday, saying the move became necessary in the light of troubling activities and misinformation capable of jeopardizing the unity of the country.

    Enenche held that the social media has always been a challenge all over the world and for the military, it is no different.

    “It is a double-edged sword and we are also having a bit of it,” he said.

    “Imagine when the President came back and addressed the nation, not up to 30 minutes later, a fake speech of the Commander-In-Chief was being circulated in order to do what? To derail the people. If you are not very sharp and if you didn’t listen to the speech or you don’t have a copy of it like I had it almost immediately, you wouldn’t know. So, looking at it from that perspective, it is a challenge everywhere.”

    “What are we doing? In the military, we are now taking on it more seriously than ever. We have our strategic media centres that monitor the social media to be able to sieve out and react to all the ones that will be anti-government, be anti-military, (and) be anti-security,” the military chief continued.

    “We tackle them appropriately with appropriate responses. Ahead of that, we are also proactive. We have measures in place, scientific measures to be able to sieve this information and also to get the public and let them know that some of this information they are getting is not genuine are not true and their objective is an anti-corporate existence of this country.”

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Federal Government recently categorise hate speeches as terrorism and hopes to deal with suspects with same consequences.

  • Hate speech, terrorism: FG, states agree on special courts to try suspects

    The Federal and state governments have agreed to designate special courts for the purposes of prosecuting purveyors of hate speeches as well as suspected terrorists and kidnappers.

    According to a statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Sunday by the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice-President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande, the decision was reached at a one-day National Security Retreat organised by the National Economic Council on Thursday.

    The council which is chaired by the Vice President has the 36 states governors, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria as members.

    Akande said the retreat discussed concerns about the delay in the nation’s criminal justice system and NEC members concluded that prompt action by law enforcement agencies was imperative.

    In arriving at special courts for purveyors of hate speeches as well as suspected terrorists and kidnappers, he said it was resolved that the Federal Government would help states to develop a template for such courts.

    He said, “NEC members urged prompt action in the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators of terrorist acts, kidnapping and purveyors of hate speeches.

    “To facilitate this, the designation of special courts was also advocated and the consensus was that judicial and executive arms of the Federal and state governments will be working together to establish such courts.

    “The Federal Government will also be helping states develop a template on how such special courts would be established and managed.”

     

  • JUST IN: Osinbajo declares hate speech as act of terrorism

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday said that the Federal Government had drawn a line on hate speech and would treat it as an act of terrorism.

    He said this while addressing a Security Summit organised by the National Economic Council (NEC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    “The Federal Government has drawn a line on hate speech.

    “Hate speech is a species of terrorism; terrorism as it is defined popularly is the unlawful use of violence or intimidation against individuals or groups, especially for political ends.

    “The law on hate speech, the Terrorism Act 2011, defines hate speech amongst other definitions, as an act deliberately done with malice and which may seriously harm or damage a country or seriously intimidate a population.

    “The intimidation of a population by words or speech is an act of terrorism and this government intends to take this matter seriously.

    “As I said we have drawn a line against hate speech; it will not be tolerated; it will be taken as an act of terrorism and all of the consequences will follow it.”

    The Acting President called on business, religious and political leaders to condemn hate speech in strongest terms especially when such speech came from people of their faith, tribe or group.

    He stated that silence on such speech could only be seen as an endorsement.

    He noted that throughout history promotion of hate speeches succeeded in achieving their barbarous ends by silencing influential voices from the aggressor communities.

    Osinbajo stated that when leaders in communities that spoke in such a manner to play dissension were made to be quite it constituted a great disservice to the unity of the nation.

    The Acting President reaffirmed that the primary aim of the government was to secure the lives and property of citizens, adding that the administration would not relent in achieving that vision.

    Osinbajo also observed that to tackle insecurity there was the need to fight poverty by all tiers of government.

    He said that the Inspector General of Police has been directed to constitute a community policing programme to ensure inclusion of all communities in creative ways towards improving security in the country.

    Osinbajo decried the past friction between the Federal and State government that has led to low fulfillment of obligations to people, adding that the administration continue to exhibit transparency in dealing with the states to enable good governance.

  • Senate to give rapt attention to passage of hate speech, jungle justice bills – Saraki

    Senate to give rapt attention to passage of hate speech, jungle justice bills – Saraki

    Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has said the 8th Senate will give rapt attention to the passage of passage of bills against hate speech and jungle justice will enjoy speedy passage when the chamber resumes from annual recess.

    Saraki stated that the passage of the bills will help tackle the menace of hate speech and jungle justice which was fast hitting up the polity and becoming a norm.

    In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki stated that the Senate was ready to give the Hate Speech Bill accelerated consideration when it is presented by the Executive.

    He said, “At this point in time when people are heating up the political and social space with their utterances, the Hate Speech Bill will help to mitigate against verbal attacks or expressions against individuals or groups on the basis of ethnicity, religion, and even gender.

    “This will help to send a clear message with accompanying punitive measures to those negative elements in our society that are fond of distasteful comments that hurt, offend and provoke retaliation.”

    The Senate President also stated that the Anti-Jungle Justice Bill, which was sponsored by Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi-West) would also help to “curtail, protect and prohibit Nigerians across the country from meting out extra-judicial justice to perceived offenders without recourse to statutory legal channels.”

    Saraki said, “There have been many cases of extrajudicial executions across the nation. We all remember the ‘AluuFour’ incident and several other notorious cases of phone and food thieves being set ablaze. We cannot have a situation where people feel that they can take the law into their hands. Therefore, we must put in place careful stopgaps and penal measures to protect the sanctity of our communities.”

    The Senate President also stated that the Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters; and Rules and Business of the Senate would work to ensure that Anti-Jungle Justice Bill was quickly passed and sent to the House of Representatives for concurrence.