Bashir Ahmed, a former media aide to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, has sounded the alarm on the dangers of TikTok, urging stricter regulation to prevent harm to Nigeria.
Ahmed warned that the platform’s freedom is empowering criminals, including bandits, kidnappers, and terrorists, to spread propaganda and misinformation, causing more harm than good to the country.
In a post on his X.com account late Wednesday, the former aide argued that the freedom provided by the app is emboldening criminals to spread misinformation and propaganda.
He said, “It is alarming that TikTok, a global social media platform, is being utilised by criminals such as bandits, kidnappers, and terrorists in Nigeria to interact with the public and, in some cases, even engage in live conversations defending their heinous activities.
“The platform is causing more harm than good to our country, as it not only amplifies the voices of these criminals but also emboldens them by providing a space to spread their propaganda and misinformation. Nigeria needs stricter regulations and content monitoring on TikTok to prevent these dangerous individuals from using it for their malicious agendas.”
He emphasized the need for stricter regulations and content monitoring to prevent malicious individuals from exploiting TikTok for their agendas.
During Buhari’s tenure, the government banned Twitter (now X) for 222 days, highlighting the administration’s willingness to take action against social media platforms deemed harmful.
Recent viral videos on TikTok showing bandits flaunting ransom cash have raised concerns, with experts like Zagazola Makama calling attention to the issue.
