Regulate social media, urges tech expert

TECHNOLOGY expert Melissa Williams believes that with the increase in COVID-19 cases in Barbados, social media is going to be flooded with all kinds of reports, some of them untruths surrounding the virus in the country.

There was a flurry of such postings following the Government of Barbados’ latest policy to tighten the COVID-19 pandemic protocols,

including an extended curfew with new cases of the virus emerging.

Among the postings was one where a local radio station had to issue a denial that it was closed following a report that one of its employees had attended the now famous bus crawl.

There were several others which evoked responses denying them.

Williams, an independent consultant, charged that there needs to be some form of regulation to put an end to this situation where fake news continues to gather momentum via the social media vehicle.

“I myself have heard of the untruths and in a country where this has become very pervasive, dating back years ago when it was used to score political points,” she told Business Monday.

“We in this country have to move on and to cease from indulging in that behaviour where the country emerges as a rumour-mongering society,” she advised.

Over the weekend, controversial USA President Donald Trump had his Twitter and Facebook accounts shut down in the wake of what was termed misleading information being peddled.