I’ll support regulation that holds media responsible – Dele Alake

Dele Alake, the former special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on media and publicity, has said that one of his priorities if confirmed as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, perhaps taking the helm at the information and culture ministry, is to support any bill in the legislature that will regulate the social media space.

Alake voiced his lack of admiration and disdain for the way social media has been used to negatively influence behaviour patterns and spread such information in the country and globally.

While undergoing his screening at the Senate on Wednesday, he said, that the downside of social media has been detrimental to the growth of the country and is in need of regulation.

He extolled the positive sides of the social media, including its speed, and wide reach.

He said: “However, the downside is that some of it is detrimental to the good of society, so what I will support is the strength of all the regulations in my time.

“Yes there are some concerns not just here but all over the world but particularly in our own environment about the malicious nature of social media.

“The social media has two sides, there is a positive side there is a negative side just like everything in the world.

“So I will recommend strengthening of our regulations and application of those regulations. It is not just to enact laws but the laws must also be tested, it is from testing that will know the weight, the efficacy, proficiency, and efficiency of those regulations so that’s the first thing I will do about social media.

“Strengthening of the law and application of those regulations and I will support anything that comes from this hallowed Chambers to promote that course of action.”

In support of his claim for more regulation of the social media space, Alake referenced the existence of laws and regulations guiding the conduct of every society and doesn’t see why the social media space can’t have the same.

A worrying trend is the rate at which libelous and slanderous statements are propagated on the social media space, something that wouldn’t be the case if there was regulation.