In Burkina Faso, it is no longer allowed to record someone poor while giving them food or money if it is to upload it to social media.
Ibrahim Traoré’s government approved a decree that prohibits turning humanitarian aid into a spectacle to gain followers or views. Helping is still welcome: clothing, food, or money can be donated. What is no longer allowed is pointing a camera at the face of someone who has lost almost everything in order to gain fame on the internet, and the rule especially protects minors exposed in that type of video.
The authorities also require NGOs to be officially accredited and prioritize sustainable projects using local products, in a country that had already dissolved 118 organizations this year. Traoré put it bluntly: the dignity of those who suffer is worth more than any viral video.
