The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has urged the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to reject the recently reintroduced social media regulation bill, emphasizing that if passed, it would unduly restrict the rights to freedom of expression and privacy for Nigerians.
Kolawole Oluwadare, Deputy Director of SERAP made this known on Sunday.
SERAP called upon Akpabio and Abbas to request President Bola Tinubu’s administration to abandon ongoing efforts to pressure Google, YouTube, TikTok, and other social media companies to unduly limit fundamental human rights.
Kolawole Oluwadare, Deputy Director of SERAP stated “The social media is neither Nigeria’s problem nor a monster. Any regulation of it would have arbitrary and excessive effects, causing incalculable damage in material and human rights terms.”
The National Broadcasting Commission recently stated that “one of Nigeria’s major problems now is social media” and described social media as “a monster.”
SERAP disagreed, asserting that any regulation of social media would be inconsistent and incompatible with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 and the country’s international human rights obligations.
SERAP also noted that the proposed bill raises serious concerns about the rights to freedom of expression and privacy and would lead to a “digital siege.”
The organization stressed the need to focus on opportunities around social media access and address growing social and economic inequalities in the country.
“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are immediately taken upon the receipt and/or publication of this letter. SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions against the National Assembly and the Federal Government if the social media regulation bill is ever passed into law,” the organization said.
SERAP further urged the government to publish details of any ongoing discussions and engagements with social media companies.
The reintroduction of the social media regulation bill, in SERAP’s view, would lead to a deterioration of the human rights situation in the country and carry major economic costs for all sectors while exacerbating social and economic inequalities.
“Under international law, all restrictions on the operation of social media companies and other intermediaries must comply with the requirements of legality, legitimacy, and necessity,” SERAP emphasized.
The organization’s statement further explained that the regulation of social media could negatively impact the free flow of information and ideas, affecting economic and social activities.
It called on the National Assembly to press the Federal Government to comply with the requirements of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 and the country’s international human rights obligations concerning the rights to freedom of expression, privacy, and participation.
“Access to social media is widely recognized as an indispensable enabler of a broad range of human rights. It is central to freedom of expression and the realization of many other human rights, including education, freedom of association and assembly, access to information, and participation,” SERAP said.
The organization warned that if the 2023 social media regulation bill is passed into law, it would impose disproportionate penalties on Nigerians solely for exercising their human rights, as it seems to be similar to the version of the Protection from Internet Falsehood and Manipulation Bill 2019, with provisions empowering authorities to unilaterally order the shutdown of the internet.
A similar bill to regulate social media was considered by the National Assembly in 2015 but failed to pass into law after public outcry.
