Inflammatory Facebook posts may be removed ahead of Myanmar elections

Inflammatory Facebook posts may be removed ahead of Myanmar elections

The Myanmar government will join hands with Facebook to remove any posts that may incite violence during the upcoming election campaign period Channel News Asia reported on 25 August.
Due to an increase in Facebook and mobile phone users across the country, authorities said they are concerned some netizens may use the medium to spread inaccurate information in the run-up to the elections as soon as campaigning starts next month.
“We had the communal violence in 2012 and 2013. After that, we had our first co-operation with Facebook. That is why we try to apply the same co-operation in the election period, not to control the freedom of information but try to prevent the hate speech and other inciting of violence or communal violence during the election campaign,” explained Information Minister Ye Htut.
There are an estimated five million Facebook users in Myanmar.