Australia’s government says it will introduce “world-leading” legislation to ban children under 16 from social media.....Read Full Article>>

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the proposed laws, to be tabled in parliament next week, were aimed at mitigating the “harm” social media was inflicting on Australian children.

“This one is for the mums and dads… They, like me, are worried sick about the safety of our kids online. I want Australian families to know that the government has your back,” he said.

While many of the details are yet to be debated, the government said the ban will not apply to young people already on social media.

There will be no exemptions on the age limit for children who have consent from their parents. The government says that the onus will be on social media platforms to show they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access.

Albanese said there would be no penalties for users, and that it would be up to Australia’s online regulator – the eSafety Commissioner – to enforce the laws.

The legislation would come into force 12 months after it passes and be subject to a review after it’s in place.

While most experts agree that social media platforms can harm the mental health of adolescents, many are split over the efficacy of trying to outlaw them all together.

Some experts argue that bans only delay young people’s exposure to apps such as TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, instead of teaching them how to navigate complex online spaces.

Previous attempts at restricting access, including by the European Union, have failed or found the implementation challenging given that there are tools which can circumvent age-verification requirements.

One of Australia’s largest advocacy groups for child rights has criticised the proposed ban as “too blunt an instrument”.

In an open letter sent to the government in October, signed by over 100 academics and 20 civil society organisations, the Australian Child Rights Taskforce called on Albanese to instead look at imposing “safety standards” on social media platforms.

The group also pointed to UN advice that “national policies” designed to regulate online spaces “should be aimed at providing children with the opportunity to benefit from engaging with the digital environment and ensuring their safe access to it”.

But other grassroots campaigners have lobbied Australia’s government for the laws, saying bans are needed to protect children from harmful content, misinformation, bullying and other social pressures.

A petition by the 36Months initiative, which has over 125,000 signatures, argues children are “not yet ready to navigate online social networks safely” until at least 16, and that currently “excessive social media use is rewiring young brains within a critical window of psychological development, causing an epidemic of mental illness”.

When asked whether there should be broader efforts to educate children about how to navigate the benefits and risks of being online, Albanese said that such an approach would be insufficient because it “assumes an equal power relationship”.

“I don’t know about you, but I get things popping up on my system that I don’t want to see. Let alone a vulnerable 14-year-old,” he told reporters on Thursday.

“These tech companies are incredibly powerful. These apps have algorithms that drive people towards certain behaviour.”

In a bold and incendiary claim, Hajia Naja’ atu Mohammed, a former Director of the Presidential Campaign Council for Nigeria’ s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has accused the party’ s vice presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima, of being a supporter of terrorism. This assertion was made during a recent interview on Arise Television, where she recounted troubling incidents linking Shettima to terrorism.....Read Full Article>>

Naja’ atu alleged that Kabiru Sokoto, a notorious figure wanted for terrorism, was apprehended at Shettima’ s residence when he was governor of Borno State. This revelation adds to her criticism of the APC, particularly in light of her resignation from the party just weeks before the February 25 elections. She stated that ongoing developments in Nigeria’ s political landscape had rendered her participation in party politics untenable.

In response to her departure, the Tinubu campaign team described Naja’ atu’ s resignation as a facade, asserting that she was dismissed for allegedly acting as a spy within the campaign. However, Naja’ atu remained undeterred, emphasizing her concerns regarding national security. She argued that the political environment must foster safety before any meaningful governance can take place, and questioned the logic of having individuals with questionable backgrounds in positions of power.
‘Shettima Sponsors Terrorism’, Former

She expressed deep misgivings about Shettima’ s connections, suggesting that his associations with individuals tried for serious crimes, such as drug trafficking, were alarming. Naja’ atu called for a collective effort among Nigerians to reclaim their nation from perceived threats, underscoring the urgency of the situation.
She further questioned the rationale behind existing flight restrictions in Zamfara, a state lacking an airport, while asserting that a vibrant trade in soil— rich in strategic minerals— is ongoing. According to her, this mineral wealth is the driving force behind the unrest in the region, as those in power seek to exploit these resources at the expense of local communities.
Naja’ atu’ s comments resonate with earlier statements made by Rabiu Kwankwaso, the presidential candidate from the New Nigeria Peoples Party, who also linked the turmoil in Nigeria’ s northern regions to struggles over mineral wealth. As the narrative surrounding security, governance, and resource management continues to develop, the implications of these allegations could have far- reaching consequences for Nigeria’ s political landscape.

A Civil Society Organization, CSO, TAP Initiative, on Tuesday, filed a petition before the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC, demanding the prosecution of some officials that were involved in the recent governorship election that held in Edo State.....Read Full Article>>

Specifically, the petitioner called for a thorough investigation and trial of some of the adhoc staff the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, used for the conduct of the election, alleging that they engaged in acts of forgery.

Fibroid: ‘I needed male child, but doctor removed my womb’ — Susan Okafor, mother of two

The CSO, which submitted the petition at the headquarters of the ICPC in Abuja, said it would not hesitate to seek a fiat from the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, should the anti-corruption agency fail to act on its demand.

Speaking with journalists shortly after the petition was accepted by the ICPC on Tuesday, the Executive Director of TAP Initiative, Mr. Martin Obono, further threatened to petition the European Union and other international agencies to stop sending funds INEC, saying it appeared the electoral body “has taken over rigging from politicians.”

According to the group, it was worried that INEC allowed its officials to be compromised during elections.

Obono said his organization discovered the alleged criminal action of some INEC staff members, after it obtained the Certified True Copies (CTC) of the Edo governorship election results.

He told newsmen that the group uncovered lots of discrepancies in the CTC of the election results, prominent among which he said included the absence of signatures of polling unit agents and presiding officers.

More so, the group said the discrepancies in the certified election results propelled it to engage a forensic expert from South Africa, who carried out analysis that established that there were manipulation of results at the collation centers.

It said an analysis conducted by the expert established that forms EC8A were compromised at the collation centers where only one person signed all the documents, adding that the forms bore same serial numbers but different election results.

“It is regrettable that INEC is involved in institutional electoral fraud. INEC ought to be a gate keeper but it is now involved in direct rigging, and changing the will of the people.

“We will take a step further to write the United Kingdom, United States of America, European Union and other foreign donors to stop funding election in Nigeria, since they are being defrauded by the electoral body,” the petitioner stated.

The group, therefore, demanded that all those involved in subverting the will of the electorates must be brought to justice, saying it was not satisfied with the apology that was recently tendered by INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmud Yakubu.

“We are aware of the apology that was recently tendered by INEC Chairman, but apology does not erase criminality committed against the people,” Obono added.