A bill seeking to regulate the use of social media on Wednesday, passed second reading in Senate.
Senators unanimously supported the bill when it was presented during plenary. They said it will curb falsehood and misinformation.
Tagged “a bill to make provisions for the protection from internet falsehood and manipulations and for related matters, 2019”, the controversial bill is sponsored by Senator Musa Sani (Niger East).
The bill proposes stiffer penalties for defaulters such as maximum of N10 million fine and a minimum of three years jail term for persons who peddle false information on the social media.
Leading the debate, Senator Musa explained that the bill was not aimed to stifle free speech or dissenting views.
“It is rather an opportunity to address a growing threat which, if left unchecked, can cause serious damage in our polity and disrupt peaceful coexistence,” he said.
Insisting that some persons use the social media to spread falsehood, Musa said the need to enact a law to curb the ugly trend is imperative so that proper information dissemination would be enhanced.
He further alleged that state and non-state actors engaged in geo-political interests and identity politics, use internet falsehood to discredit governments, misinform people and turn one group against another.
“The hoax about the death of President Muhammadu Buhari in London and his replacement with Jibril from Sudan was a great threat to the peace and security of this country.
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“Individuals and groups influenced by ideologies and deep-seated prejudices in different countries use internet falsehoods to surreptitiously promote their causes,” Senator Musa said.
Citing countries like Singapore that have taken measures to curb the proliferation of fake news, the lawmaker noted the phenomenon of internet falsehood and manipulation is a serious global challenge.
Supporting the bill, Senators Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South) and Elisha Abbo (PDP, Adamawa North) said the bill came aptly because it will prevent fake news from causing disunity and fostering collapse of the country.
However, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu East), was the only lawmaker who opposed the bill.
Nnamani said “Section 39(1) of the 1999 Constitution provides that “Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information without interference.” He was however over-ruled.
But the bill was put to voice vote by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan. It was unanimously voted for by lawmakers and subsequently referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for further legislative action.
