Meta, the company that owns Facebook and WhatsApp has rolled out new rules and regulations for users of its platforms in Kenya ahead of the August 9 polls.
In a statement seen by The Kenya Times on Wednesday, July 20, Meta said the new regulations seek to increase transparency in political advertising, fight voter interference, promote civic engagement and increase digital literacy.
In the latest regulations, those who have previously violated set community regulations on Facebook, Messenger and Instagram will see their content less distributed as Meta works on curbing the movement of inappropriate content on its platforms.
Meta will also delete any content aimed at misinforming the masses in order to suppress their voting rights and cause chaos.
The company will also get rid of photos, videos and content transferred outside of context which depict ballot stuffing and violence.
Content that has been flagged will have a warning label in order to inform Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp users that it is fake.
Also, users who share content and information that is disparaging to women will be flagged as the new regulations take effect.
To enforce that above regulation and ensure female politicians are protected, Meta joined hands with working groups such as the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOPA) and United Nations to defend their safety and ensure a safer experience across its platforms.
Adverts that tend to discredit opponents will also be flagged and removed from Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger.
Meta has employed artificial intelligence, human review, and user reports to remove content violating its community standards quickly. So far, over 42,000 content has been removed from its social media platforms in Kenya.
Meta’s Ad Transparency tool helps people understand who is behind the political ads they see on Facebook and Instagram.
Advertisers who want to run political ads in Kenya must undergo a verification process to verify their identity and whether they reside in Kenya.
Additional checks are run to ensure their compliance with Meta’s policies.
They are also supporting digital literacy and engaging in civic education programmes to understand the scope of the August 9 General Election.
