The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has warned that centralised social media platforms such as Facebook (Meta) and X (formerly Twitter) are eroding citizens’ digital rights through data misuse and manipulation.
Executive Director of CITAD, Malam Y.Z. Ya’u, raised the concern in Kano on Thursday while delivering a lecture at the Kano State Polytechnic titled “Monopolies to Fediverse: A Peep into an Alternative Social Media Space.”
Ya’u said the two tech giants had grown into monopolies with little accountability, adding that their centralised control enables data exploitation, political interference, and online suppression.
He accused the platforms of harvesting users’ data without consent and selling it to advertisers, political actors, and AI developers, in breach of data protection principles.
The activist also alleged that the companies promote discriminatory content, citing a report by the Sada Social Center for Digital Rights, which documented over 1,200 violations against Palestinians in June 2025.
As an alternative, Ya’u unveiled “dComms,” a decentralised platform being developed by CITAD, modelled on the Fediverse to promote community ownership and local hosting.
The event attracted students and lecturers of the Polytechnic’s Mass Communication Department, who actively engaged in the discussions
