In Summary:
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Claims have been swirling on social media that the government is planning to shut down Facebook amid investigation into the reported US$19 million drug case
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We fact-checked the claim by consulting credible and authoritative sources, observing the platform, and found the claim to be UNPROVEN
On June 12, Randall Massaquoi Dobayou II, National Deputy Secretary General for Records and Research of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), claimed in a Facebook post that the Liberian government had decided to shut down Facebook because of what he described as public outcry over the reported US$19 million drug case.
The claim emerged days after the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) announced the seizure of what it described as 198 plates of raw cocaine at Roberts International Airport on June 9.
Since the announcement, members of the public including opposition figures have raised concerns and called for transparency regarding those responsible for the alleged importation of the drugs.
A similar claim was made by Facebook user Kpelleh King, who alleged that the government was attempting to conceal information about the perpetrators.
The Claim
Dobayou II wrote: “Why is the government of Liberia shutting down Facebook? Is it bad for citizens to insist that you be transparent about the 19 million drug issue? Wow, dictatorship!”
Similarly, Kpelleh King posted: “The Government of Liberia is shutting Facebook down in Liberia because of public outcry about the $19 million drugs. This shows the government is involved.”
Rating Justification
To verify the claim, we contacted both Dobayou II and Kpelleh King and requested evidence to support their assertions.
In response, Dobayou II stated that he would not disclose his source, citing the journalistic principle of source confidentiality.
But Kpelleh King as of the time of publication did not respond. This report will be updated if he provides supporting information.
We also conducted an extensive online search but found no credible media reports, official government statements, or announcements from relevant authorities indicating that the Liberian government has decided to shut down Facebook.
To further verify the claim, we contacted government institutions responsible for information dissemination and telecommunications regulation.
When contacted, Deputy Minister for Information Daniel O. Sando dismissed the claim, stating that it “does not make sense.”
We also reached out to Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) Commissioner Patrick Honnah. He similarly rejected the claim, describing it as a “lie” and questioning its plausibility.
In addition, our review found that Facebook remained accessible in Liberia after the claim was made. As of the time of publication, there has been no observed disruption, restriction, or shutdown of the social media platform..
Conclusion
Based on our findings, we conclude that the claim made by Randall Massaquoi Dobayou II and Facebook user Kpelleh King that the Liberian government has decided to shut down Facebook because of public outcry over the reported US$19 million drug case is UNPROVEN.
We found no publicly available evidence, official statement, or credible report indicating that the Government of Liberia has taken or announced any decision to shut down Facebook. Furthermore, Facebook remained accessible in Liberia after the claim was made, with users continuing to access and use the platform without any observed interruption.
