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Ukraine crisis: How Yandex suppresses information for Russian internet users — Report

Nurudeen Akewushola
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Ukraine crisis: How Yandex suppresses information for Russian internet users — Report

A report by the Digital Forensics Research Lab (DFRLab) has accused Yandex of succumbing to Russia’s domestic regulations by suppressing Ukraine war information for its users in Russia.

The report noted that the search engine has promoted state media and narratives in its search results, de-ranked and removed contents critical of the Russian government on its platform.

Yandex is the most popular search engine in Russia.

READ: How war in Ukraine breeds propaganda and disinformation ― Report

“To operate as widely as it does in Russia, Yandex complies with these domestic regulations, impacting its approach to content moderation and use of algorithmic ranking. Yandex dropped unofficial sources, such as blogs and foreign media, from its aggregator and began to prioritize state-approved outlets. In other words, the law has created a chilling effect.

“Yandex consistently showed higher rankings of common Russian disinformation narratives, de-ranking of content and media indicating opposition to the war, and a complete lack of access to sites labelled as “restricted” by the Kremlin,” parts of the report read.

It further noted that global technology firms have grappled with how to mitigate disinformation and respond to requests from the Russian government to censor information on their platforms since the onset of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

ALSO READ: TikTok feeds users with disinformation about Russia-Ukraine war -Report

It explained that long before the current war, the Russian government put in place a series of laws giving state censors, the legal mandate and technical capacity to curtail online information and discourse which enables the Vladimir Putin-led government to dictate which content is allowed on news websites.

The report added that since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the crackdown on freedom of expression in the country has accelerated with several legislations meant to halt critical coverage of the war, punish journalists and citizens speaking against it, and further insulate the Russian populace from accurate information.

TikTok feeds users with disinformation about Russia-Ukraine war – Report

Niyi Oyedeji
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TikTok feeds users with disinformation about Russia-Ukraine war – Report

TIKTOK is feeding misinformation and disinformation content to its over 1 billion users about the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, a report released by NewsGuard Misinformation Monitor says.

According to NewsGuard – a media-tech firm that rates the credibility of news and information websites, misleading information about the war in Ukraine reaches users a few minutes after signing up on the app.

 “TikTok is feeding false and misleading content about the war in Ukraine to users within 40 minutes of their signing up to the app, regardless of whether they run any searches on the platform,” NewsGuard revealed.

READ: How war in Ukraine breeds propaganda and disinformation ― Report

The investigation, which was launched in March 2022, had a team of six analysts who created new accounts on TikTok and would later discover that the top 20 results for searches on “Ukraine, “Russia, “War,” “Kyiv,” and “Donbas” all had videos that contained misinformation and inaccurate claims.

The analysts arrived at this conclusion having run experiments on the TikTok app’s personalized “For You” feed for 45 minutes, watching videos relating to the Russia-Ukraine war in full without initiating any searches about the conflict.

According to the report, a French-speaking analyst saw a video of a speech by Russian President Vladimir Putin claiming that “Today’s neo-Nazis have taken power in Ukraine”.

However, the video, which had generated more than 1.7 million views and shared more than 15,000 times, has previously been identified as a Kremlin propaganda video.

“Within 36 minutes, the same analyst was shown a video, published on March 5, of a man claiming that “all the images of this pseudo-war are fake. There are no images coming out of Ukraine, even Russian Spentsnaz soldiers aren’t allowed to have smartphones to film anything-so all the images you see in the media are fake.” 

“Toward the end of the 45–minute experiment, analysts’ feeds were almost exclusively populated with both accurate and false content related to the war in Ukraine — with no distinction made between disinformation and reliable sources.

READ: Ukraine crisis: How Yandex suppresses information for Russian internet users — Report

“At a time when false narratives about the Russia-Ukraine conflict are proliferating online, none of the videos fed to our analysts by TikTok’s algorithm contained any information about the trustworthiness of the source, warnings, fact-checks, or additional information that could empower users with reliable information.

“In addition to the clear disinformation in TikTok’s search results, the platform also suggested reliable sources to NewsGuard’s analysts, including Sky News and The Telegraph.

“While reliable sources tend to be “verified” on TikTok with a blue tick, their content still appears alongside other videos carrying Kremlin propaganda claims in the platforms’ search results, with no other distinction made between the two. In particular, TikTok does not include information about the trustworthiness of news sources on its platform,” it noted.

Google sets to invest $10 million to fight misinformation

Nurudeen Akewushola
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Google sets to invest $10 million to fight misinformation

GOOGLE has announced plans to  roll out new features that enhance access to trusted information as well as invest $10 million to address the spread of misinformation, especially about the realities and facts of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Chief Executive Officer of Google and Alphabet Inc., Sundar Pichai made this announcement during a visit to civil societies supporting refugees as well as Ukrainian startups in Warsaw, Poland.

“A big part of the challenge is addressing the misinformation that is spreading about the realities and facts of the war in Ukraine. Today, we’re committing an additional $10 million for this effort, including new partnerships with think tanks and civil society organizations to conduct region-specific research into misinformation and disinformation, as well as cash grants to support fact-checking networks and non-profits,” Sundar said in the blog post.

He noted that more features will be introduced to combat misinformation and enhance reliable information.

“As an information company, we take our responsibility seriously to provide reliable, trustworthy information to people when they need it. We saw how many Ukrainians turned to Search to find up-to-date information, including where to find shelter or humanitarian aid, and relied on air raid alerts on their phones. To help, we’re also rolling out new features that enhance access to trusted information, including Info Panels in local languages and Transparency Labels for publisher content on YouTube.”

He added that Jigsaw, a unit within Google, will partner with local experts and academics to develop approaches to counter disinformation and help people easily identify disinformation.

Photo does NOT show Abuja – Kaduna train attacked by bandits

Nurudeen Akewushola
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Photo does NOT show Abuja – Kaduna train attacked by bandits

FOLLOWING the reported bandits’ attack on a train carrying over 900 passengers from Abuja to Kaduna on Monday, March 28, 2022, a viral image of train wreckage has been shared multiple times online with a claim that it depicts the incident.

The viral image shows train wreckage caused by an explosion with smoke billowing from it.

A Twitter user with the handle @four_unit tweeted the image with a caption thus:

“JUST IN; 28/3/22 Today Monday news reaching us that Fulani terrorists popularly known as “Bandits” Bombed Kaduna-Abuja Train With Over 1,000 Passengers Aboard. Me :Free MNK, End Nigeria. End Fulani terrorists acts.”

READ: Claim that bandits were chasing police officers in Kaduna is MISLEADING!

 

Another Twitter user with the handle @EkoVanguardTV also shared the same photo with the caption below:

“Breaking News: Over 1,000 passengers feared dead as bandits bomb train referring passengers. Eye witness reports from Villagers along Abuja-Kaduna road called to confirm hearing multiple gunshots and attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train by terrorists.”

THE CLAIM

The photo shows the Abuja – Kaduna train attacked by bandits.

THE FINDINGS

A Google Reverse Image search by The FactCheckHub shows that the image has nothing to do with the Nigerian train bombed by bandits in Kaduna.

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the image was from Iran’s trains crash which happened in Semnan province and killed dozens on the 25th of November 2016, according to a BBC News report. 

The image was also used in a similar news report published by the AFP news agency in November 2016.

ALSO READ: Drone footage of ‘bandits’ posted by Joe Igbokwe is from Kenya not Nigeria

Another media report which published the image in 2016 also confirmed that the train collision in Iran killed at least 44 people and injured several others.

THE VERDICT

The image of the train wreckage does not depict the Kaduna incident where a train was bombed by bandits in Nigeria; thus making the claim FALSE.

Old video of supporters of politician circulates online as bandits invade Kaduna airport

Niyi Oyedeji
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Old video of supporters of politician circulates online as bandits invade Kaduna airport

FOLLOWING the invasion of the Kaduna International Airport on Saturday, March 26, 2022 by bandits, a viral video has appeared online to portray the incident.

The video (now deleted) was tweeted by a Nigerian broadcast journalist, Olajumoke Alawode-James, with the Twitter user ID, @oluwaloninyo.

“Terrorists at Kaduna airport!,” her tweet reads.

START: Claim that bandits were chasing police officers in Kaduna is MISLEADING!

The tweet has garnered over 5,500 views, 150 retweets and over 140 likes as of 1:00 pm on Monday, March 28, 2022. Also, she had over 77,000 followers.

CLAIM

The video shows terrorists’ invasion of Kaduna airport

 

A screenshot of the tweet before it was deleted.

THE FINDINGS

Checks by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.

A Google Reverse Image search conducted on the frames of the video revealed that the video has been on the internet since 2018.

The video was that of the supporters of a politician, who rode motorcycles on the Sokoto airport runway in August 2018.

“Some young Nigerians have been caught on camera riding their motorcycles feverishly on the Sokoto Airport runway,” the report read.

Similarly, The Punch newspaper had reported the same incident earlier on August 4, 2018.

ALSO READ: Did Tinubu win only two out of 23 LGAs in Kaduna State?

Although, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has said that the bandits who invaded the Kaduna airport on Saturday abandoned two motorcycles, however, the video in circulation used in portraying the bandits has been on the internet since 2018.

THE VERDICT

The claim that the video shows terrorists’ invasion of Kaduna airport is FALSE; checks revealed that the video is that of supporters of a politician who rode motorcycles on the Sokoto airport runway in 2018.

Old video of Nigerian policemen protesting resurfaces online

Nurudeen Akewushola
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Old video of Nigerian policemen protesting resurfaces online

A video showing some officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) protesting has resurfaced on social media with a claim that it shows a recent protest by the police operatives against the leadership of the organisation.

A Twitter user, Achilleus, with the handle @AchilleusChud tweeted the video on March 26, 2022 with a caption: “Operatives of the @PoliceNG protesting openly against leadership of the force. In today’s Nigeria, university unions are on strike. Now, Policemen who put their lives on the line to secure the big people mostly, are protesting. What a statement on @OfficialAPCNg leadership.”

READ: Nigerian police rated ‘worst’ globally 7 years ago, not recent

In the 45-seconds video (now deleted), some police officers were seen blocking the street, firing gunshots and causing public commotion while expressing their grievances over the non-payment of their salaries and calling on the Nigerian government to intervene in the matter.

THE CLAIM

The video shows a protest by some operatives of the Nigeria Police Force in March 2022.

Nigerian police protesting
A screenshot of the Twitter post with the video before it was deleted.

THE FINDINGS

Checks by the FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING.

The full version of the video was uploaded by Channels TV on the 2nd of July, 2018, findings revealed.

According to the television station, the 95-seconds video shows some police officers in Borno State who stormed the streets of Maiduguri to express their grievances over unpaid allowances and poor welfare on Monday, 2nd of July, 2018.

It also reported that the police officers who were owed about 5 months’ salaries barricaded the state police command’s headquarters located on the Maiduguri-Kano expressway and demanded the sack of the then Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Kpotun Idris.

Reacting to the tweet via its official Twitter handle (@PoliceNG), the NPF debunked the claim.

A screenshot of the NPF reaction to the tweet.

In a statement signed by the Acting Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Nigerian police confirmed it’s an old video.

ALSO READ: Nigerian police spokesman makes misleading claim about firearms recovered in Anambra

 

“The video above depicting mobile police officers protesting was an incident that occurred on 2nd July, 2018 in Maiduguri, Borno State. The public is hereby advised to kindly disregard the video and stop the spread of disinformation. The Nigeria Police remains a disciplined, committed and patriotic Police Force,” it reads.

THE VERDICT

The claim that the video shows some operatives of the Nigeria Police Force protesting in March 2022 is MISLEADING; as the video has been online since July 2018.

Claim that Sowore, Kperogi endorsed Peter Obi for president is FALSE

Niyi Oyedeji
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Claim that Sowore, Kperogi endorsed Peter Obi for president is FALSE

TWO days after former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi joined the 2023 presidential race, a post has circulated online alongside a claim that Omoyele Sowore and Farooq Kperogi have endorsed his candidacy.

The post which contains an image of Peter Obi and quotes purportedly made by Sowore and Kperogi was shared by a Facebook Page named MR BASH.

The post reads:

“Omoyele Sowore and Farook Kperogi Endorses Peters Obi For President

I acknowledge that Nigeria has a virile option in Peter Obi ~ Farook Kperogi

“Peter Obi is the only Nigerian politician that does not have corruption on his neck and he is also good at wealth management…

….If he gets PDP ticket, youths across Nigeria will vote for him because Nigerian youths are tired of corrupt leaders…. – Omoyele Sowore.”

As of 9:00 pm on Saturday, March 26, 2022, the post has garnered 260 likes, about 60 comments with over 80 shares.

READ: Fake quote attributed to Sowore applauding Peter Obi circulates online

THE CLAIM

Omoyele Sowore and Farook Kperogi Endorses Peters Obi For President

Screenshot of the viral Facebook post.

THE FINDINGS

Checks by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.

Findings by The FactCheckHub revealed that Omoyele Sowore, who is also a presidential aspirant in the upcoming Nigeria’s 2023 general elections, has denied the claim.

Sowore, in a tweet on his verified Twitter page, stated that the claim that he said Peter Obi is not corrupt is completely false.

Similarly, The FactCheckHub checked the Facebook page of Farooq Kperogi, a US-based Nigerian professor and columnist, who was also purported to have endorsed Peter Obi’s presidential ambition.

ALSO READ: Fact-checking Sowore’s claims at ‘The Candidates’ presidential town hall series

From his page, it was revealed that the only post made on Peter Obi’s ambition was shared on Friday, with the caption, “Peter Obi: Applying to Be Driver of a Knocked-Out Car.”

Kperogi, however, ended the post with a caveat that the post does not in any way means an endorsement of Peter Obi.

“This is not, by any means, an endorsement of Obi’s presidential bid. It’s simply an acknowledgement that Nigeria has a virile option in him,” the caveat reads.

VERDICT

The claim that Sowore and Kperogi have endorsed Peter Obi’s presidential ambition is FALSE; as both individuals debunked any endorsement claim regarding Obi.

2023 Elections: Nigerian government urges broadcasters to help fight fake news

Niyi Oyedeji
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2023 Elections: Nigerian government urges broadcasters to help fight fake news

AS NIGERIA prepares for its 2023 general elections, the Nigerian government has urged the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) to help in combating the menace of fake news in the country.

This call was made in Abuja by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, during the opening ceremony of the Digital Media Convention and the 76th General Assembly of Broadcasting Organizations of Nigeria.

The minister tasked the media on the need to disseminate factual information to the public and provide necessary feedback from the public to the government.

READ: Meta oversight board member urges actions against fake news on WhatsApp

He also appealed to the Nigerian media to continue providing accurate and verified information “that will promote the unity of our country and deepen our democracy.”

“Now that the politicking has started prelude to the 2023 general elections, the media as the fourth estate of the realm must adhere strictly to the rules as stipulated in the NBC code and other statutes, including the newly passed Electoral Act.”

“The broadcast media should help in combating the menace of fake news by disseminating correct information to the public and provide necessary feedback from the public to the government,” Mohammed said.

The minister, who was represented by Ayo Adewuyi, observed that the practical digitization in Nigeria which commenced with Buhari’s government in 2016 in Jos, Plateau State, has successfully been launched in 6 other states namely: Lagos, Kwara, Osun, Enugu, Kano and the FCT.

“All things being equal, Port Harcourt Digital switchover will take place before the end of April, 2022.”

He added that digital switchover is a capital intensive project, which demands a partnership between the Nigerian government and private investors to execute.

“All over the world, where Digital migration had been carried out successfully, they have employed the full participation of the private sector to drive it.”

ALSO READ: Why media houses should set up fact-checking desks to counter fake news

“I am sure that this digital convention will bring to the front burner the essence of partnership by all stakeholders and industry players on achieving a collective digital migration,” the minister noted.

Earlier in his opening address, the BON Chairman,  John Ugbe, said the organisation will continue to strive towards ensuring adherence to the laid down rules and ethical conduct in the broadcast sector.

Ugbe, who doubles as the Chief Executive Officer of Multichoice Nigeria Limited, unveiled the organisation’s plan to commence the training and retraining of broadcast practitioners in April 2022.

Viral image of dilapidated building is NOT Grade 1 Area Court, Kabusa

Ijeoma Opara
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Viral image of dilapidated building is NOT Grade 1 Area Court, Kabusa

AN IMAGE of a dilapidated building is being circulated across different social media platforms as the Grade 1 Area Court in Kabusa, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.

The image shows a white signboard leaning against an old building with “ Grade 1 Area Court Kabusa, Federal Capital Territory,” written on it.

Some Facebook users have made posts decrying the poor state of the said court.

READ: Video does NOT show unknown gunmen chasing policemen in Abuja

In a post made on March 4, 2022, a Facebook user, Izuchukwu Okoli, uploaded the image with a caption that reads: “Grade 1 Area Court Kabusa FCT.”

On the same day, another Facebook user, Paul Edoh Jnr, posted the image with a similar caption, “Grade 1 Area Court, Kabusa… our judiciary system here no try o,” he wrote in pidgin English.

Taking a swipe at the Nigerian government, another user, Comr Simon Nahor, posted the same image on March 5, 2022 thus:

“Grade 1 Area Court, Kabusa Federal Capital Territory Abuja.

“Tell me, can justice be delivered in this type of environment? Because even the Magistrate or Judge is suffering from injustice already by subjecting (sic) in this type of court. APC is evil,” he said.

The image was also uploaded on Twitter by a Human Rights Activist and lawyer, Professor Chidi Odinkalu.

Though he did not directly describe the old building as the Kabusa Area Court, Odinkalu posted the image with a hashtag that read: #WhereIsJustice?

The post had gathered 20 likes, 20 retweets, 3 quoted tweets and several comments by users on the platform as of the time of filing this report.

The archived version of the posts can be seen here, here, here and here.

The FactCheckHub, however, found that the image and accompanying claims are MISLEADING and FALSE.

During a visit to the Grade 1 Area Court, Kabusa, The FactCheckHub confirmed that the court was a different building from the viral image.

Grade 1 Area Court, Kabusa, Abuja.

The old building in the viral post was situated a few blocks away from the court.

According to a court official who pleaded anonymity for lack of authorisation to speak to journalists, said the signboard had been placed in front of the building (in the viral image) to give directions.

The official also told The FactCheckHub that the court has existed at its present location for over five years, but the picture of the old building started circulating in March 2022.

ALSO READ: Did Oyetola spend 3 days in Abuja without seeing Buni?

“That building in the picture is just one of these houses close by. The signboard was placed there to help people with directions, but we have since removed it from there.

“This court has been here for quite a while. I was posted here in 2019 and this court had been built long before then,” the official said.

A visit by The FactCheckHub to the location of the old building showed that it was one of the residential houses around the area.

Old building being circulated as Grade 1 Area Court, Kabusa without the court signboard. Photo Credit: The ICIR.

Other images of the Grade 1 Area Court, Kabusa can be seen below:

Grade 1 Area Court, Kabusa, Abuja. Photo Credit: The ICIR.

It is clear that the dilapidated building is not the Grade 1 Area Court in Kabusa; thus, the claim that the image in circulation shows the court is FALSE.

Old photo of Mexican plane crash resurfaces online after China’s incident

Niyi Oyedeji
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Old photo of Mexican plane crash resurfaces online after China’s incident

AS a Boeing 737-800 aircraft belonging to China Eastern Airlines crashed into the countryside near Wuzhou city, Guangxi region of China on Monday, March 21, 2022, a viral photo has been shared on social media to portray the crash.

The post which contains some texts and an image purported to be the wreckage of the crashed plane was published by a Facebook Page named Robert Mugabe Quotes.

“Its sad to see 133 people dying like chicken. A passenger plane has crashed in China & Africa is in tears. If you have a weak heart do not watch this video,” the post read.

READ: Uganda’s Entebbe International Airport has NOT been sold to China! 

The image was also used in the report here by newsoperator, a South African blog to portray the plane crash in China.

THE CLAIM

An image of the plane crash in China.

THE FINDINGS

Checks by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING.

Both Google Reverse Image search and Tin Eye Image search of the image revealed that the photo has been online since August 1, 2018.

According to CBS News, the image is from a video captured by passengers of an Aeroméxico plane crash in Mexico in 2018.

“Video shot by a passenger shows the stormy weather an Aeroméxico flight encountered before crashing Tuesday. In the moments after, panicked passengers screamed and looked for the exits. CBS News national correspondent Manuel Bojorquez reports,” the report read.

ALSO READ: Viral image is that of Nansha bridge in China, not related to Nigeria

The news of the Mexican plane crash was also reported here by BBC.

According to the report, the plane crashed just moments after take-off.

“All 103 passengers and crew on board the Aeroméxico flight survived the crash but 97 of them are injured,” the report added.

VERDICT

The image of aircraft wreckage used to portray the plane crash in China by the Facebook page is MISLEADING; the image is that of a 2018 plane crash in Mexico.

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