By Foday Moriba Conteh
Social media evidently has the proclivity of weaponizing the use of data services and the internet ecosystem to inflict mayhem in Sierra Leone as recently witnessed.
Sierra Leone enjoys the lowest cost in data tariff comparative to other countries.
The low cost of data positively widened access, but not without its fair share of harm, especially the abuse of the service on social media.
The colossal damages social media has left on democracy and internet in Sierra Leone is becoming exponentially worrisome.
The feud and conundrums the country is witnessing – many have said the internet has been the conduit facilitated by the lowest cost of data tariff.
There is an imminent threat posed to freedom and democracy in our society with data driven political campaigns and the spread of disinformation through negative propaganda and fake online identities. There is an urgent call for it to be controlled in order to mitigate the consequences of social media.
The reckless use of social media permeated the recent insurrection that led to the loss of lives of security personnel and other citizens.
There is the call for telecommunications companies and internet providers to help the threat being posed by the reckless use of social media.
Elections are around the corner; these companies must support the country’s quest for peace and national cohesion. There is the inclination for a dramatic increase in the demand for data to peddle peace-threatening disinformation.
