The Federal Government has urged global Internet company Google not to allow YouTube channels linked to the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, describing the group as a proscribed organization.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated this on Thursday during a courtesy call on him by a delegation from Google in Abuja.
Mohammed said the YouTube channels are being used to spread hate speech and misinformation against Nigeria.
The minister listed such channels to include Biafra Digest TV, Umu Biafra TV, Biafra Digest, and Asa Biafra TV.
According to Mohammed, some of these channels use local languages and dialects during their broadcast to evade being censored.
“Your platform is a platform of choice for IPOB, a proscribed terrorist group.
“We implore you not to make your platform available to them for their acts of violence and destabilization.
“We hope you will cooperate with us as well as our security agencies in this direction,” he said.
Mohammed added, “We want Google to look into how to tackle the use of private and unlisted YouTube channels and YouTube live streams by proscribed groups and terrorist organizations. Channels and emails containing names of proscribed groups and their affiliates should not be allowed on Google platforms.”
Mohammed said the Nigerian Government had 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 responsible use of the Internet and to protect our people from the harmful effects of social media”, he said.
