From the article: “A new Nigerian bill ‘for an Act to Prohibit Frivolous Petitions and other Matters Connected Therewith,’ proposed by Senator Ibn Na’Allah has received swift ridicule and condemnation from Nigerian bloggers, civil society advocates, and social media enthusiasts. The new bill penalizes false statements made on newspaper, radio, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp…
The increased government regulation and censorship of internet continent in African countries is problematic for a number of reasons. Obviously the curtailing of the freedom of speech is worthy of condemnation; less immediately evident, however, is the fact that crackdowns on internet freedom in Sub-Saharan Africa is also an impediment to the fight against corruption. Democracy promotion efforts should not ignore the importance of protecting web neutrality and the freedom of expression on the continent—unfortunately, the United States and others with an interest in good governance in Sub-Saharan Africa have not focused their efforts on a free and fair internet.”
Read the full Quartz article here: https://qz.com/569372/nigerias-social-media-bill-follows-a-trend-of-african-governments-keeping-tabs-on-civil-society/