Many Nigerians have kicked against the planned regulation of social media.
A bill on regulation of social media is before the National Assembly and has scaled second reading at the Senate.
Nigerians who took to Twitter on Tuesday vehemently rejected the passage of the bill.
Trending under #SayNoToSocialMediaBill, Nigerians took to twitter to oppose the bill, describing it as an attempt to gag the voice of Nigerians.
There have been recent calls for regulation of social media with the government blaming the use of social media for spread of fake news and inciting comments during the #EndSARS protests.
The bill titled “Protection from Internet Falsehood and Manipulations Bill 2019” was sponsored by Senator Mohammed Sani Musa on November 5, 2019.
We had reported the move to regulate social media got a boost on Monday when governors and other leaders from the North declared support for it.
The Federal Government has made regulating social media its priority, blaming the social media for the spread of ‘fake news’ which it says can destroy the country if left unchecked.
But Shehu Sani, former senator representing Kaduna central, said: ”Northern Governors; their kinsmen are being slaughtered daily by bandits & insurgents, their people are daily being kidnapped & impoverished by ransom, their women raped & their villages are under siege. ”Their people live in fear & funerals.Yet, Social Media is their problem.”
SERAP said: “Nigerians have a right to freedom of expression online. “We’ll sue the Northern Governors’ Forum and the National Assembly if any social media bill is passed and signed by President Buhari.”
@benmurraybruce, @runtown also tweeted: “I support #SayNoToSocialMediaBill”
Activist, Deji Adeyanju, said: “All YOUNG people should withdraw from the various panels on END SARS until they suspend assault on SOCIAL MEDIA and our constitutional democracy. #SayNoToSocialMediaBill #EndSARS”
Nollywood actor, @YulEdochie said: “All the problems Nigeria had before I was born are still there. Poor economy, Asuu Strike, unemployment, hunger, poverty, killings everywhere, bad roads, etc. Solve these problems, una no gree. Your headache is social media. Honestly I tire for una oo! #SayNoToSocialMediaBill”
@YemieFASH said: “The Northern Governors which comprised of PDP and APC Governors ask Nigerian Government To Censor Social Media, I hope you now see that political party is not the actual problem of this county, we have unfortunate people on both divide. However let’s #SayNoToSocialMediaBill.”
