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Instagram apologized after its algorithm incorrectly marked posts in support of #EndSARS, Nigeria’s anti-police brutality movement, as false information.
The Special Anti-Theft Squad, or SARS, a special police force, has been accused of corruption and brutality against protesters in the country.
“Yesterday our systems incorrectly flagged content in support of #EndSARS and flagged posts as fake. We are deeply sorry for this.
“The issue has now been resolved and we apologize for disappointing our community at such a necessary time,” the company said in a statement Thursday.
The movement and accompanying protests made headlines this week after Amnesty International said Nigerian security forces opened fire on a crowd of protesters, killing 12.
SARS was formed by the Nigerian government in 1992 to act as a deterrent from the country’s high crime rate.
The brigade acted anonymously in an attempt to protect its officers and conduct its investigations without interference.
However, in the years since, Nigerian youth have accused the squad of corruption and brutality, claiming that they have harassed and tortured citizens who resist.
Amnesty International reported at least 82 cases of abuse and killings by SARS officials in the past three years.
On social media both in Nigeria and around the world, supporters of the protesters used #EndSARS to express their support for the movement.
However, some noted that their Instagram and Facebook posts were flagged by the company’s fact-checking banners.
According to one user, they received a message that read: “False – The same false information was reviewed in another post by fact-checkers. There may be slight differences. Independent fact-checkers say this information has no basis in fact. “
Mark Zuckerberg is marking the murder of #disarmed #EndSARS Nigerian Armed Forces protesters as fake news. Even the #LagosStateMassacre Y #LekkiGenocide It was labeled as false information on both Instagram and Facebook. @finkd He is an accessory to the murders in Nigeria. pic.twitter.com/p9oHhDsGMo
– Somto Okonkwo (@MrSomtoOkonkwo) October 21, 2020
In recent weeks, Facebook has vowed to crack down on misinformation ahead of the 2020 U.S. elections, banning anti-vaccination ads, Holocaust-denying content, and other conspiracy theory content.
Facebook, however, has not commented on what caused the mistake of incorrectly labeling the activist’s content, nor if changes will be implemented to prevent it in the future.
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