Fake News And Impersonation On Social Media

FAKE NEWS AND IMPERSONATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA

The coming on stream of social media is undoubtedly beneficial to the world. Aside from the main media, Television, newspapers and radio, social media has helped in interactions and rapid dissemination of information to all corners of the World. Although most of the information on social media is beneficial, there is an upsurge of negative acts online that include the spread of fake news, impersonation and threats to personalities. Sadly, these days the spread of negative information likely to affect a nation and its people is rampant daily in the media, both social and traditional. There are several news items online, on-air and in newspapers some of which are not true accounts of situations. It is said that some of the fake news emanating from hatred between rival political, business and social parties. These rivals sometimes influence media persons to produce fake news to dent the image of their opponents. In Ghana and other parts of the globe, media houses are forced to retract and render apologies for those news items while others are made to pay hefty penalties in court for the fake news items which are often seditious and libelous.

Apart from fake news, we are now experiencing serious impersonation clothed with fraudulent acts. The use of pictures and names of Members of Parliament, Ministers and political party gurus on facebook, twitter, messenger etc is now a common phenomenon, attracting people seeking employment in sensitive organizations of the state. They begin by seeking friendship with people they find online in the names and pictures of prominent personalities on social media. They then engage in chats with innocent victims and asking to know whether the victims are card bearing members of their political party among other questions. The fraudsters will after several interactions demand some payment for the victims to be registered for protocol employment. Those seeking to purchase auctioned cars are also being attracted to the online tricksters. Apart from this, some people also pose as workers of the National Lotteries Authority on Facebook and messenger promising and “charging” people for “sure banker” Lotto numbers on weekly Lotto draws. With regard to the upsurge of Juju men and Mallams promising to help people to gain fortunes, the least said about it the better.

Since the upsurge of fake news and the use of names and particulars of prominent men on social media is fraudulent, the security agencies must move in to find a solution to the cyber-related frauds and help sanitize social media. The Ministry of Communications through the National Cyber Security Center must intensify public education on Cyber Security and cybercrimes to ensure safety online. It is refreshing to learn that the Ministry of Communications is pushing for the criminalisation of inappropriate social media content. With the increasing number of people using social media the earlier the problems associated with social media are tackled, the better.

BY: ALHAJI ALHASAN ABDULAI, A JOURNALIST AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF EANFOWORLD.