Instagram users are watching their posts related to #EndSars protests in Nigeria reported, which led many to accuse censorship.
The factor has been raised on all social networks as users consult to raise awareness of the protests, which target a Nigerian police unit known as the Special Anti-Theft Squadron (Sars).
Protests hit a head on Wednesday after several protesters in Lagos city were shot dead and wounded.
Although the police unit has now been disbanded, the outrage has intensified as Sars has been accused over years of harassment, assault and extrajudicial killings.
But let’s say Facebook, owner of Instagram, reported that their posts would #EndSars involve “false information. “
A popular Twitter user shared a screenshot of the Instagram review after his post about the protest was allegedly deleted.
“I published “Pray for Nigeria” and they erased it and said it was false information,” @konanplaydirty.
Another user claimed that several of his messages had also been reported, and one of them with the symbol of a bloodied Nigerian flag.
However, one of the screenshots shows precisely what caused the problem. Instagram turns out to have some #EndSars with some other story potentially similar to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
Fact-checking shows that the message was reported because Instagram believed it was similar to the false claim that CNN is broadcasting a chyron about “two fatal viruses” killing Nigerians.
The social media giant has also struggled with coronavirus data, also officially known as acute coronavirus 2 respiratory syndrome, or SARS-CoV-2, which is likely to contribute to confusion.
The fact that the demystified claim referred to Nigeria and possibly the term “SARS” seems to be the explanation for why the #EndSars posts were reported.
A Facebook spokesman showed in a daily newspaper to the Daily Dot that #EndSars posts had been inadvertently reported.
“We are aware of a challenge in which some #EndSARS are incorrectly reported as false in our systems,” the spokesman said. “We are working temporarily to solve this challenge. “