Thread by @ParadigmHQ

On March 9, 2020 @NGRSenate Judiciary, Human Rights & Legal Matters committee hosted a public hearing for Nigeria's notorious "Protection from Internet Falsehood and Manipulation Bill". While we await the committee report, here's a thread on why you should #SayNoToSocialMediaBill

We have a few questions: Who decides what is a "false statement"? Only the government and its agents will decide what statement is false disagreement with official figures? Who is afraid of criticism? Will innocent errors, that are corrected, be punished? #SayNoToSocialMediaBill

Punishments for expressions that government deems to be capable of "diminishing public confidence in the discharge of its duties" range from N300,000 to N10,000,000 or 3 years' imprisonment or both. That's from Clause 3 Sub-Clause 1 (b) of the bill! #SayNoToSocialMediaBill

The bill's reference to "providing services for the transmission of false statements of fact in Nigeria" could be used to punish social media influencers, online publishers, bloggers or other individuals. Fines are N150,000 or 2 years' imprisonment or both #SayNoToSocialMediaBill

Sub-Clause 3 of the Protection from Internet Falsehood and Manipulation Bill gives government the latitude to use national security, public safety, public trust, etc, as basis to increase the punishment to 3 years' imprisonment or a N10,000,000 fine. #SayNoToSocialMediaBill

Sub-Clause 6 says @NgComCommission may be directed to enforce an Access Blocking Order. Sub-Clause 4 specifies punishment for service providers that fail to comply: up to N10,000,000 daily, and "can go up to N5,000,000” (an apparent error). Companies, #SayNoToSocialMediaBill!

You can't take your matter to court unless you have applied to the law enforcement department. How about the right to a fair trial? How can the same agency enforce and judge? We believe no law should preclude anyone from seeking justice in a court of law. #SayNoToSocialMediaBill

Law enforcement can force intermediaries to disable internet access to its users through a "disabling regulation". Once a disabling regulation has been issued, a notice must be placed in the gazette but failure to do so doesn't invalidate the regulation😕 #SayNoToSocialMediaBill

Clause 19: Law enforcement can force media houses and ISPs to transmit statements or pieces of information or content to all of its users.

Clause 23: The Law enforcement department can direct NCC to inform Internet Access Service Providers to censor.

#SayNoToSocialMediaBill

Clause 27: Your organisation can be put you on a list and you must let your users know that you are on the list.

Section 31: Once your platform is listed as declared you're not to make profit from it.

With existing impunity and abuse, this is dangerous!

#SayNoToSocialMediaBill

The "law enforcement department" is defined, in the interpretation section of the bill (Clause 35), as the "Nigerian Police Force" 😲 This means that @NGPoliceForce will be responsible for administering parts 3–5 of the bill. One more reason to say #SayNoToSocialMediaBill