The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has called for the adoption of alternative online platforms in response to alleged data misuse and manipulation by social media giants, Facebook (Meta) and X (formerly Twitter).
He described the two platforms as monopolies with little accountability, stressing that their centralised control enables misuse of users’ data, political interference and online suppression.
He also alleged that the platforms promote discriminatory content and cited figures from the Sada Social Center for Digital Rights, which documented over 1,200 violations targeting Palestinians in June 2025.
As an alternative, Zakari-Ya’u unveiled “dComms,” a decentralized platform under development by CITAD, modeled on the Fediverse.
The initiative, he explained, would combine social networking and messaging while emphasising community ownership and local hosting.
The lecture was attended by academics, journalists, civil society actors, and technology enthusiasts, who explored the Fediverse as a people-centered alternative to profit-driven platforms.