E-Business
Facebook, Instagram Censoring Protests against Police Violence- Report
Facebook and Instagram are falsely tagging content linked to peaceful anti-police brutality demonstrators in Nigeria as fake news, according to vice news.
The issue was flagged by multiple social media users on Wednesday who said that Facebook and Instagram were filtering out mentions of the hashtags related to the protests, which have been trending in recent days.
The protests, which have lasted for almost two weeks so far, began as demonstrations against Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS)—a unit of the Nigerian police force that has been accused of alleged extrajudicial killings and the indiscriminate extortion of young people. Now, however, they have morphed into broader protests against general police brutality and the Nigerian government.
On Tuesday night, the Nigerian military opened fire on peaceful anti-police brutality demonstrators in Lagos on Tuesday night, killing a reported 15 people and injuring hundreds.
Users who attempted to post content with the #EndSARS hashtag on Wednesday were met with an alert saying that there was “false information in your post.”
A Facebook spokesperson confirmed to VICE News that the #EndSARS hashtag had been incorrectly flagged.
“We are aware of an issue where some posts in support of #EndSARS are being incorrectly flagged as false in our systems. We are working quickly to resolve this,” the spokesperson said.
Facebook did not say how the issue arose, how many people it affected, or when it would be fixed. It is not the first time that Facebook has inaccurately flagged content from activists. Just last week, Facebook admitted that it marked posts by the Sunrise Movement group in Sacramento as going against its Community Standards by mistake, again without explaining how that happened.
The government is now attempting to silence local media, with the Nigerian National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) warning media outlets not to “embarrass individuals, organizations, government or cause disaffection, incite to panic or rift in the society at large.”
As the protests continue to roil his country, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari, a former 1980s military dictator, has not spoken publicly for over a week and has not commented on Tuesday’s massacre.
Before his self-imposed silence, Buhari on October 12 promised “extensive police reforms” and to bring those responsible for extra-judicial killings to justice.
However, he also downplayed the scale of the problem of police misconduct, saying it was limited to “a few bad eggs.” Now, activists are calling for the president to resign.
E-Business
Naija Shopping Festival: Konga Offers Unbeatable Christmas Deals
Nigeria’s leading e-commerce platform, Konga, has unveiled the Naija Shopping Festival, a Christmas sales event designed to offer shoppers extraordinary discounts and unbeatable deals.
This exciting shopping extravaganza begins on December 1 and runs through December 30, promising an unforgettable experience for all.
With discounts of up to 70% off on your favourite products, the Naija Shopping Festival is Konga’s way of spreading festive cheer and ensuring no one misses out on amazing deals.
This event caters especially to those who could not participate in Konga Yakata, giving everyone a chance to save big this holiday season.
The festival boasts a wide array of incredible offers across multiple categories, including mobile phones, electronics, FMCG, fashion, groceries, and accessories.
Shoppers can also enjoy specially curated deals such as Christmas Eve Deals, Flash Sales, Santa Shop, and Hamper Packs, ensuring there’s something for everyone this festive period.
Konga is partnering with top global brands such as Apple, Starlink, HP, Zinox, CeraVe, Lenovo, Haier Thermocool, Samsung, and Infinix to deliver the best possible deals. Customers can expect discounts of up to 70% on premium products, ensuring maximum value on every purchase.
Speaking on the launch, Onochie Melvin, E-commerce Manager at Konga, stated, “The Naija Shopping Festival is our way of giving back to our customers and making this Christmas season special for every Nigerian.
“We remain committed to easing the financial burden on Nigerian consumers, especially during challenging economic times. Also, we want to ensure shopping is fun, affordable, and stress-free. With our trusted partners, we’ve curated the best deals to meet the needs of every shopper during this festive period.”
As always, Konga is committed to making shopping easy and convenient for Nigerians.
“By offering substantial price cuts and collaborating with trusted brands, Konga continues to set the standard for e-commerce in Nigeria.
To have a feel of Konga’s Naija Shopping Festival, visit www.konga.com today and make your Christmas shopping a joyful experience.
E-Business
TD Africa Joins Forces with Check Point to Enhance Cybersecurity in Nigeria
TD Africa, a leading technology distributor in Sub-Saharan Africa, has joined forces with Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., a global cybersecurity leader, to enhance Nigeria’s cybersecurity resilience.
This strategic partnership, announced at a partner roundtable event in Lagos and attended by industry executives, stakeholders, and IT professionals, facilitated discussions on emerging cybersecurity trends and fostered strategic partnerships.
Participants explored innovative approaches to digital security, concluding with a networking session designed to spark future collaborations and strengthen Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
Abiodun Idowu, Assistant General Manager for TD Africa, highlighted the company’s dedication to delivering cutting-edge technology solutions, saying: “This partnership with Check Point reflects our commitment to providing advanced tools that safeguard businesses against today’s complex cyber threats.”
Check Point’s Security Manager, Victor Ugwu, who underscored the partnership’s significance in strengthening cybersecurity frameworks in Nigeria, said, “With this collaboration with TD Africa, we aim to deploy innovative solutions like Harmony and CloudGuard to protect organizations across the country.”
TD Africa now offers Check Point’s Harmony and Email Collaboration solutions, incorporating Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) technology to enable secure connectivity for remote and hybrid work environments.
Additionally, the partnership provides CloudGuard, an end-to-end cloud security solution, and Quantum Firewall appliances, which scale to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes.
This partnership reinforces TD Africa’s position as a driving force in Nigeria’s technological advancement. By delivering robust cybersecurity solutions, TD Africa empowers businesses to navigate the digital age with confidence and resilience.
E-Business
Kaspersky Contributes to Joint INTERPOL-AFRIPOL Operation Combating Cybercrime Across Africa
Kaspersky has recently assisted its partner law enforcement agencies INTERPOL and AFRIPOL in a joint effort to disrupt cybercrime across the African region.
Dubbed “Serengeti,” the operation has led to the arrest of more than 1,000 individuals suspected of links to cybercrimes such as ransomware operation and business email compromise (BEC) attacks, resulting in nearly US $193 million in financial losses worldwide.
As Africa is going through a rapid digitisation, the threat of cybercrime on the continent is also escalating. In the African region in general and West Africa in particular, ransomware emerges as one of the most prominent attack vectors, targeting critical infrastructure, financial institutions, and manufacturing facilities, among others.
During the first 10 months of 2024, ransomware detections in West Africa surged by 36% year-on-year, according to Kaspersky data. Other noticeable cyberthreats targeting users and organisations in the region include spyware and password stealers.
Conducted from September 2 to October 31, operation Serengeti dismantled 134,089 malicious infrastructures and networks linked to cybercrimes including ransomware operations, BEC attacks, digital extortion and online scams — all identified as prominent threats in INTERPOL’s 2024 Africa Cyber Threat Assessment Report.
Kaspersky has contributed to the operation by sharing information on threat actors, data on ransomware attacks and malware targeting the region, as well as up-to-date indicators of compromise (IoCs) for malicious infrastructure across Africa.
Among the malware targeting African countries was also a well-known Brazilian banking trojan Grandoreiro – Kaspersky recently released new findings on this trojan at its Security Analyst Summit. Additionally, ransomware families detected in attacks on African organisations among others included LockBit, Rhysida, and Medusa.
The operation has also resulted in the identification of more than 35,000 victims of cyber offenses investigated.
Valdecy Urquiza, Secretary General of INTERPOL, said: “From multi-level marketing scams to credit card fraud on an industrial scale, the increasing volume and sophistication of cybercrime attacks is of serious concern.
Operation Serengeti shows what we can achieve by working together, and these arrests alone will save countless potential future victims from real personal and financial pain. We know that this is just the tip of the iceberg, which is why we will continue targeting these criminal groups worldwide.”
Ambassador Jalel Chelba, AFRIPOL’s Acting Executive Director said: “Through Serengeti, AFRIPOL has significantly enhanced support for law enforcement in African Union Member States. We’ve facilitated key arrests and deepened insights into cybercrime trends. Our focus now includes emerging threats like AI-driven malware and advanced attack techniques.”
“We are proud to contribute to this multi-stakeholder operation orchestrated by INTERPOL and AFRIPOL,” comments Yuliya Shlychkova, Vice President, Global Public Affairs, Kaspersky. “The emerging dynamics of the threat landscape in Africa requires a stronger regional dialogue on mitigating acute cybersecurity risks.
Kaspersky firmly supports INTERPOL’s and AFRIPOL’s efforts to prevent and disrupt cybercrime attacks across Africa and shares the holistic approach towards creating a more cyber-resilient environment within the continent.”
Thanks to the cooperation with INTERPOL and AFRIPOL, Kaspersky has been an active contributor to fostering a more cyber-savvy environment in the African region.
In addition to the vast record of joint operations in Africa, with the latest being INTERPOL-led operation Synergia II, Kaspersky has recently sealed a five-year cooperation agreement with AFRIPOL to further strengthen its role in creating a more cybersafe climate on the continent by sharing Kaspersky’s extensive data on local cyberthreats and cybercrime trends with the organisation.
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