New Nigerian Social Media Bill Reflects Trend of African Governments to Censor Social Media Usage

A new Nigerian bill on social media use has been gaining backlash. The bill “for an Act to Prohibit Frivolous Petitions and other Matters Connected Therewith,” proposed by Senator Ibn Na’Allah penalizes false statements made in the newspaper, radio, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

According to an article on Quartz:

It has prompted a vociferous #NotoSocialMediaBill Twitter campaign and letters to the Nigerian government. Even president Buhari distanced himself from the bill. His spokesman Garba Shehu said “the president won’t assent to any legislation that may be inconsistent with the constitution of Nigeria.” He also reiterated president Buhari believes free speech is central to democratic societies.

The early strong reaction to the Nigerian social media probably means it is less likely to get passed into law in its current form, but it is merely the latest in a trend of increased internet censorship in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Click here to read the full article on Quartz.