The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on the leadership of the National Assembly to decline the recently reintroduced bill aimed at regulating social media.
This bill, if approved, is feared to overly constrain freedom of expression and privacy.
SERAP has also appealed to both the Senate and the House of Repr LPesentatives to request President Bola Tinubu’s administration to cease any ongoing efforts to exert pressure on social media companies like Google, YouTube, TikTok, and others, with the intention of unduly limiting basic human rights.
They contest that this proposed legislation would effectively criminalize the lawful exercise of human rights, sparking concerns regarding freedom of expression and privacy, ultimately resulting in a digital lockdown.
SERAP underlines that such regulation would be in conflict with the Nigerian Constitution and the nation’s international human rights commitments.
Furthermore, they have encouraged the National Assembly to advise the federal government to harness the potential benefits of social media accessibility and address social and economic disparities, rather than rushing to pass the social media regulation bill.
SERAP warns that enacting this bill could worsen the human rights situation within the country and impose substantial economic burdens, deepening the digital divide and undermining the government’s dedication to advancing the sector.
The organization firmly believes that access to social media is a crucial aspect of human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression and access to information.
It is worth noting that a similar bill was considered by the National Assembly in 2015 but failed to become law due to public opposition.