Entertainment

Facebook: Nick Clegg avoids questions on whistleblower Haugen’s testimony

The Facebook executive Nick Clegg took a damage-limitation tour of US political talkshows on Sunday, but remained evasive over questions about the social media giant’s contribution to the deadly attack on the US Capitol on 6 January this year.

The former British deputy prime minister, now Facebook vice-president of global affairs, was responding to a barrage of damaging claims from the whistleblower Frances Haugen.

Appearing before a Senate committee this week, Haugen said a proliferation of misinformation and unchecked hate speech on Facebook helped encourage the pro-Trump mob that stormed Congress, seeking to overturn the election result.

Haugen will also meet with the House committee investigating the Capitol attack.

Clegg insisted individuals were responsible for their own actions on 6 January, and would not say if he believed Facebook bore any responsibility for amplifying toxic messaging such as Donald Trump’s baseless claims of a stolen election.

“Given that we have thousands of algorithms and millions of people using it, I can’t give you a yes or no answer to individual personalised feeds each person uses,” Clegg told CNN’s State of the Union.

“Where we see content we think is relevant to the investigation, to law enforcement, of course we cooperate. But if our algorithms are as nefarious as some people suggest, why is it that those systems have reduced the prevalence of hate speech on our platforms to as little as 0.05%?”

A week ago, Clegg blasted suggestions that social media contributed to the insurrection as “ludicrous”, and strongly resisted claims that Facebook ignored problems on its platform.

But after Haugen’s searing testimony that Facebook was harming children and damaging democracy globally in its quest to place “astronomical profits before people”, Clegg cut a more contrite figure on CNN, NBC’s Meet the Press and ABC’s This Week.

He outlined steps he said the company was taking to “reduce and mitigate the bad and amplify the good”, including new tools to direct users, especially teenagers, away from harmful content on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. He also said Facebook was open to discussions over stricter regulation including internet privacy legislation.

“We will, of course, seek to make ourselves ever more transparent, so people can hold us to account,” Clegg told ABC. “We understand that with success comes responsibility, comes criticism, comes scrutiny.

“We’re going to give new tools to adults, to parents, so they can supervise what their teens are doing online. And we want to give users more control. We give users the ability to override the algorithm, to compose their own newsfeed. Many people who use Facebook in the US and elsewhere want to see more friends, less politics.”

Pressure is growing in Congress for tighter restrictions on social media companies, including moves to break up Facebook dating from the Trump administration.

The Democratic Massachusetts senator Ed Markey said last month Facebook was “just like big tobacco, pushing a product that they know is harmful to the health of young people, pushing it to them early, all so Facebook can make money”.

Clegg said legislators should step in.

“We’re not saying this is a substitution of our own responsibilities,” he told NBC, “but there are a whole bunch of things that only regulators and lawmakers can do. I don’t think anyone wants a private company to adjudicate on these difficult trade-offs between free expression on one hand and moderating or removing content on the other.

“Only lawmakers can create a digital regulator … we make the best judgment we possibly can but we’re caught in the middle. Lawmakers have to resolve that themselves.”

Amy Klobuchar, a senator from Minnesota and former candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, welcomed Clegg’s stance but said social media companies had missed the opportunity to govern themselves.

“I appreciate that he is willing to talk about things but I believe the time for conversation is done, the time for action is now,” she told CNN. “If they’re willing to sign on I’m all for it, but so far we haven’t seen that.

“Look, where we are now, you know, the guy down the street[’s] mother-in-law won’t get a vaccine because she read on social media that it would implant a microchip in her arm. We need privacy legislation. We’re one of the few countries that doesn’t have a federal privacy policy.”

Entertainment

VeryDarkMan re-arraigned over alleged cyberbullying

The Inspector-General of Police has re-arraigned social media influencer, Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), before Justice Musa Liman of the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations of cyberbullying actresses Iyabo Ojo, Tonto Dikeh, and music producer Samuel ‘Samklef’ Oguachuba.

Otse was re-arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on cyberstalking and the alleged dissemination of offensive content through his social media platforms. He, however, pleaded not guilty to all charges.

His counsel, Deji Adeyanju, prayed the court to allow the defendant to continue on the earlier bail granted by Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon of a sister court.

The prosecution counsel representing the Inspector-General of Police, Victor Okoye, did not oppose the application.

Justice Liman subsequently admitted the defendant to the previous bail terms and adjourned the matter until 24 July 2025 for the commencement of the trial.

VDM was initially arraigned on 22 May 2024 before Justice Olajuwon on the same offences, which are contrary to and punishable under Section 24 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015.

Following his remand, he was granted bail on 10 June 2024 to the sum of ₦10 million, with two sureties — either employees of reputable organisations or federal civil servants of not less than Level 17, with evidence of three years’ tax clearance.

However, the case was reassigned to Justice Liman following the transfer of Justice Olajuwon to another division of the Federal High Court.

Count-by-Count Allegations
According to the charge sheet, in Count One, Otse was alleged to have, on or about 13 October 2023, posted a video on his Instagram account (@verydarkblackman) containing threatening and bullying statements directed at Samklef.

In Count Two, he was accused of intentionally posting, on or about 29 October 2023, videos containing offensive, pornographic, indecent, obscene, or menacing content targeting actress Iyabo Ojo.

In the said video, he allegedly claimed that “one Iyabo Ojo is having an indecent sexual relationship with her daughter.”

Count Three alleges that, on or about 19 January 2024, VDM falsely published via Instagram that actress Tonto Dikeh had diverted proceeds from a crowdfunding campaign for the “Justice for Mohbad” movement and that she was the person behind the anonymous blog ‘Gistlover.’

In Count Four, Otse was alleged to have, on or about 19 March 2024, intentionally posted content considered annoying and insulting towards Deputy Inspectors-General of Police and members of the National Assembly.

The trial is expected to begin in July.

Entertainment

AMVCA 2025: Full winners list

The 11th Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards spotlighted some of the most outstanding talents in African film.

Seven Doors and Lisabi: The Uprising led the night, with Femi Adebayo and Chioma Chukwuka winning Best Lead Actor and Actress respectively, while Adedimeji Lateef and Adebimpe Oyebade Adedimeji’s Lisabi clinched Best Indigenous Language Film.

Full Winners List
Best Movie:
Freedom Way — Blessing Uzzi

Best Indigenous Language (West Africa):
Lisabi: The Uprising — Adedimeji Lateef and Adebimpe Oyebade Adedimeji

Best Lead Actor:
Seven Doors — Femi Adebayo

Best Lead Actress:
Seven Doors — Chioma Chukwuka

Best Supporting Actor:
Inside Life — Gabriel Afolayan

Best Supporting Actress:
Farmer’s Bride — Mercy Aigbe

Best Cinematography:
The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos — Leo Purman

Best Sound Design:
Suspicion — Michael Botha and Olaosebikan Okonrende

Best Editing:
Inkabi — Tongai Furusa

Best Score/Music:
Seven Doors — Tolu Obanro

Best Art Direction:
Lisabi: The Uprising — Solihull Badu Noutical and Ayanmo Yakub

Best Make-Up:
Lisabi: The Uprising — Hakeem Onilogbo

Best Writer (Movie):
Freedom Way — Blessing Uzzi

Best Costume Design:
Christmas in Lagos — Adedamola Adeyemi

Best Writing (TV Series):
Untying Kantai — Abel Mutua Musyoka

Best Documentary:
Dundun — Ifeoluwa Fatogun and Ebi Atawodi

Best Series (Scripted):
Inside Life — Clarence Peters

Best Director:
The Man Died — Awam Amkpa

Trailblazer Award:
Kayode Kasum

Industry Merit Awards:
Sani Mu’azu and Nkem Owoh

The ceremony balanced celebration of emerging creatives with recognition of Nollywood legends, marking another defining year in African cinema.

Entertainment

Comedian AY Makun confirms EFCC invitation

One Nigeria’s top comedians, Ayo ‘AY’ Makun, has confirmed he was invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, earlier this week for the public spraying of local and foreign currencies.

AY took to Instagram to share the videos of the incident that led to his invitation.

He then urged Nigerians to respect the Naira and also foreign currencies by giving money responsibly at events.

“I am grateful to God for His mercy and guidance. On Monday, I was invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) regarding an incident involving the public spraying of both local and foreign currencies — an act that has been classified as an offense related to the abuse of the Naira,” AY wrote.

“I want to sincerely thank the EFCC and all authorities involved for their understanding and for granting me pardon based on confirmation that the money being sprayed is not linked to the proceeds of crime or any form of illicit funds.

He added: “To my friends, family, and the general public: We all know that spraying money at public events is a practice common in Nigerian celebrations, especially during weddings, funerals, and parties. It is generally considered a cultural tradition rather than a criminal act. But let me attach some slides to this post on the DOS AND DON’T.

“It is important to understand that mutilating or abusing the Naira — whether by spraying, tearing, defacing, or mishandling—is not just a cultural practice but also a violation of Nigerian law. Such acts undermine the integrity of our national currency and can have serious legal consequences.”