WhatsApp faces misinformation problem in Nigeria, reports say

* Fake news on the platform comes ahead of general elections
early next year.

Fake news is being spread on WhatsApp in some of Africa’s most
populous countries, according to two new reports, raising concerns
over coming elections in Nigeria.

Photoshopped images and false claims about politicians have been
circulating on the Facebook-owned messaging service in Nigeria,
which holds election in February next year, according to a report
from The Poynter Institute on Friday. Many of the false claims are
in local languages and exploit ethnic friction.

One set of false claims focuses on how politicians will address
clashes between a group of semi-nomadic herdsmen and farmers,
Poynter said. Another rumor claimed a presidential candidate
couldn’t enter the US because of a corruption charge, Poynter
reported.

Earlier in the week, a Nieman Journalism Lab survey found that
almost a third of Nigerians had shared stories that turned out to
be fake. The survey found Nigerians have the lowest level of trust
in the media of the three countries covered in the report, which
included Kenya and South Africa.

Fake news in Nigeria usually circulates on mobile platforms,
such as WhatsApp, and often involves extreme speech aimed at
inciting violence, spreading racism or encouraging misogyny and
xenophobia, Nieman said.

The volume of fake news comes as Nigeria gears up for general
elections that will take place on Feb. 16

WhatsApp didn’t immediately respond to a request for
comment.

Nigeria isn’t the only country where misinformation is a problem
on WhatsApp. In July, five people were reportedly lynched in the
village of Rainpada in Dhule, India because a rumor on WhatsApp
accused them of kidnapping children.

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