A Lagos pastor and ally of Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has said the government should look for ways to incentivise the “proper usage” of social media instead of seeking to limit freedom of expression. A proposed bill officially named the Protection from Internet Falsehood and Manipulation Bill 2019 would allow Nigeria’s government, if signed into law, to cut off internet access or block specific social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter. The lawmakers supporting the bill say it will enhance security, peace and unity in the country by curbing the spread of “false statements”. He said he has been a target of “social media vitriol” but that is not enough to earn a support for the bill. “I will not support the suppression of the most potent tool for citizen engagement in the 21st century through a misguided Social Media Bill,” Bakare said.

Source: The Guardian January 06, 2020 13:18 UTC