Senate reintroduces bill to regulate social media — with 3 years imprisonment for ‘offenders’

A bill seeking to regulate social media in the country has passed first reading at the senate.

The bill entitled, ‘protection from internet falsehood and manipulations bill, 2019’ is sponsored by Mohammed Sani Musa, senator representing Niger east.

The proposed legislation was one of the 11 bills read for the first time on Tuesday.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja, the sponsor of the bill said Nigeria needs the legislation because it would protect its “fragile unity”.

“There has never been a time when Nigeria has been very fragile in terms of its unity than this period,” Musa said.

“It is not to stop people from going into the internet to do whatever they feel legitimately is okay to do but what we felt is wrong is for you to use the medium to document information that you know is false, just because you want to achieve your desirable interest.”

He said the bill proposes a punishment of N150,000 fine or three years imprisonment for any offender.

“If it is a corporate organisation that refused to block that false information despite the fact that they have been alerted by authorities not to disseminate that information for public interest and they still go ahead and do it, refusing to do that blockage will be penalised between N5 million to N10 million for those organisations,” the senator said.

“For example, MTN, Glo, 9 mobile etc. which we use their platform in transmitting these information, if nothing is done, we fine them and you will see that it will be a deterrent to others.”

In the previous senate, there was a similar bill sponsored by Bala Na’Allah, then deputy majority leader.

But the bill was withdrawn after outrage by some Nigerians.

Recently, Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, said the federal government was working on sanitising the social media.

Source: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thecable.ng/senate-reintroduces-bill-to-regulate-social-media-with-3-years-imprisonment-for-offenders/amp

Finally, some guys go blog for jail. Lolz

Olodo senate, want to shut nigerians up.

They better build more prisons cus l can't keep quite when the right thing is not done.

The guy quoting me below can scream to high heavens.
If they act stupid, we fire. This is the only medium through which we can reach out to them.

We must pressure those in authority to do the right thing. It's our duty as citizens.

Way forward. Anything that is needed to be done to get Nigerian to think and act rightly must be done. You cant just sit in your room and add a video of crime in Pakistan or elsewhere to comment on something that happened in Nigeria and then post on Facebook thereby making people to believe that the video and the comment relate to a particular situation.

Fani kayode will be the first candidate, then it will be poscabafash, papababy, dukie dukie25

Sunnymatey:
Olodo senate, want to shut nigerians up.

Sharap my friend. If you are not a peddler of fake news then what are you worried about? These guys have become a nuisance lately. Biggest black nation on Earth discussing clones and Jubrin for years and Mr.President Marrying his Minister who he impregnated with twins !!!

Those who deliberately misinform Nigerians because they work for their own parochial agenda should officially face punishment. I back this bill die and they might as well call it death to bloggers bill. Nigeria needs information regulation and sanity ojare.

when is it starting let me start respecting myself

wow

diffrent kind of offence for naija


this 1 nah 3 month in prison

Democracy dies in darkness.

We are making two steps forward and four steps backward,

Now I agree that Social media isnt for everybody and I have witnessed my fair share of Abuse but this law will weaponize the only right that Nigerians have been managing for a while now, imagine this same police that are undisciplined carrying out checks on mobile phones looking for "offenses against the state"

our Prisons will be full, and this administration has a poor human rights record

let me shut my mouth,I don't even have #150, talkless of #150,000.But guys,we are all welcome to APC next level.

I think this will make some bloggers go back to the boxes under their beds where they forgot their senses.



nice one.

Because you think something is false or a hate speech does not mean it is actually false.
The moment government decide what you can say or not, you know that you are not a free citizen but a puppet

Modified:
Please Stop liking and quoting this post
It's distracting me.
Thanks for your understanding

Awwww

WebLab:
Finally, some guys go blog for jail. Lolz

those girls are lucky tho

Bad belly Nigerians will not like this

This is a terrible government. There is no grounds or basis for this. There are many informations on the internet, truths and half truths, total lies bt it doesn’t warrant such actions unless it leads to a real crime.


Even the government itself doesn’t say all the facts on many issues and smtmes they are even found false. There can be different versions of the truth smtmes.

Social media speaks freely and this shud not be stopped or attacked or else powerful people and those in power will suppress the truth.

The Fact There can be Different Versions of the Truth will make this difficult to interpret and enforce.

WebLab:
Finally, some guys go blog for jail. Lolz

Commot here joor.

All those senators passing this bill are idiots..........

Instead of you to channel your legislative acumen and strength on how to restructure Nigeria for a better economic/political life, you have decided to major on the minor.
How did we lost it as a Nation?

This is Nigeria


Na to stop to dey use personal information register social media be that... Because we must talk... And you can keep us quite

Parody nkọ?

nairalanders be warned

Fake news will reduce since many are naturally daft to believe them

candidtalk:


Sharap my friend. If you are not a peddler of fake news then what are you worried about? These guys have become a nuisance lately. Biggest black nation on Earth discussing clones and Jubrin for years and Mr.President Marrying his Minister who he impregnated with twins !!!

Those who deliberately misinform Nigerians because they work for their own parochial agenda should officially face punishment. I back this bill die and they might as well call it death to bloggers bill. Nigeria needs information regulation and sanity ojare.

that falsehood is what product the govt into power

This country is finished!

When is the PIB going to be passed? Restructuring??

majamajic:
when is it starting
let me start respecting myself

Feofle

lilbest4:
Because you think something is false or a hate speech does not mean it is actually false.
The moment government decide what you can say or not, you know that you are not a free citizen but a puppet

u are not getting it.

Fake news peddlers this one is for you