Nigerians Should Say No to Social Media Bill - Human Rights Watch

Nigerians Should Say No to Social Media Bill - Human Rights Watch

Two men check their phones in Kaduna, Nigeria, Saturday Feb. 23, 2019.


© 2019 AP Photo/Jerome Delay

Nigerian campaigners are speaking out against a bill that would regulate engagement on social media with the campaign #SayNoToSocialMediaBill. The Protection from Internet Falsehood and Manipulation Bill 2019 was presented in the Senate for a second reading last week before being passed on for further consideration. Activists have called for a rally at the National Assembly this Wednesday to protest the bill.


The bill prohibits statements on social media deemed “likely to be prejudicial to national security” and “those which may diminish public confidence” in Nigeria’s government. It proposes these offenses be punishable by a fine, a prison sentence of three years, or both. The bill also seeks to allow law enforcement agencies to order internet service providers to disable internet access. 


Lawmakers championing the bill claim it is necessary in the interests of security, peace, and unity, but the language of the bill would appear to create vague criminal offenses that would allow the authorities to prosecute peaceful criticism of the government. This would violate international law protecting freedom of speech. With about 29.3 million users across Nigeria, social media is a critical tool for shaping public discourse.


A bill to regulate social media was first considered in 2015 but failed to pass into law after similar public outcry. In the same year, however, the Cybercrimes law was enacted, criminalizing a broad range of online interactions. Authorities have charged activist Omoleye Sowore and at least nigerians should social media human rights watch