Why Facebook Will Restrict Content in US During Presidential Election

Facebook Inc. is planning to restrict the circulation of content in the US if the presidential election slated for November 3, becomes violent.

Financial Times reported on Tuesday, September 22, citing Nick Clegg, Facebook’s head of global affairs, that the social media giant will take the aggressive measures to avoid an escalation in the case of chaos.

There are fears that President Donald Trump, who is outspoken on social platforms, could incite violence on Facebook if the election process does not go his way as he had already argued that the polls could be rigged and demanded that postal voting be delegitimized.

Consequently, Facebook has been under pressure to make public its plans to combat misinformation, voter suppression and the incitement of violence during and after the election.

“We have acted aggressively in other parts of the world where we think that there is real civic instability and we obviously have the tools to do that (again),” Clegg was quoted in the report.

Facebook had used its extreme tools during the civil unrest periods in Sri Lanka and Myanmar. The company restricted some users who were suspected to be rule breakers from sharing content and it limited the circulation of sensational content.

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In other news, Facebook has announced it will open its second Africa office in Lagos, Nigeria later in 2021. The office will be first on the continent to house a team of expert engineers. The company opened its first Africa office in South Africa.

“We are opening a Facebook office in Lagos, Nigeria later in 2021. First office on the continent to house a team of expert engineers building for the future of Africa and beyond!”, a Program Manager at Facebook shared the news on Twitter on Saturday.

We are opening a Facebook office in Lagos, Nigeria later in 2021.

First office on the continent to house a team of expert engineers building for the future of Africa and beyond!

[Updated]https://t.co/xnoVHQ9m4l

— Chimdi Aneke (@chimdinduaneke) September 19, 2020