WHO IS REGULATING FACEBOOK DONATIONS?
By Georgia Mutale Musonda
I honestly think we need a body or an organisation that regulates public donations solicited through social media, particularly Facebook.
Every day, we see people parading vulnerable individuals, sharing their painful stories, posting their pictures and appealing to the public for financial assistance. While some of these appeals may be genuine, how do we know that the money being donated is reaching the intended beneficiaries? How do we know that the people being presented as vulnerable are not part of a scheme orchestrated to deceive well-meaning members of the public?
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It has reached a point where Facebook has become a fundraising platform for almost every personal crisis. I understand that life can be difficult. Some people genuinely have nowhere else to turn, and asking the public for help may be their last resort. There is absolutely nothing wrong with people coming together to support those in need.
But who is regulating these donations? Who verifies the authenticity of these appeals? Who ensures that the money collected is used for the purpose for which it was requested?
When people donate their hard-earned money out of compassion, they deserve some level of accountability and transparency. The vulnerable people whose stories and images are shared also deserve dignity and protection from exploitation.
Perhaps it is time we considered a proper framework for regulating public fundraising on social media, one that protects genuine beneficiaries, holds fundraisers accountable and cracks down on those who exploit people’s generosity.
We should never allow the suffering of vulnerable people to become a business for unscrupulous individuals. At the same time, we must ensure that genuine people who need help are not discouraged from seeking it.
Compassion is important, but compassion must be accompanied by accountability.
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