Government’s Threat to Shut Down Social Media Platforms

The Government in South Sudan is publicly threatening to shut down social media platforms “if it feels it can’t control Netizens from spreading online HateSpeech”Witness Law Advocates strongly believes that Freedom of speech should not be limited solely because a specific government fails to devise laws and mechanisms to curb HateSpeech, disinformation or other forms of illicit online behaviours. We also believe that freedom of speech is not absolute, there are legitimate limitations to freedom of speech under International laws, however feeling of incapacity to devise regulations and mechanisms to curb illicit online conduct is not one of it.

Our expert and head of Media, tech and IP law department strongly believes that shutting down or banning social Media platforms has never been effective in curbing illicit behaviours on Cyberspace!.There are whole loads of experiences from African and European countries, most recently is “Nigeria-Twitter ban” These cases only demonstrates how governments in poor economies and less democratic and authoritarian regimes lack the human resource and the technical expertise to adequately regulate new technologies, and most often they seek ineffective methods and in doing so they violates netizens rights and increase online censorship.

What the government should be doing is asking this question “how best could we regulate online content” when we start asking such questions then we are on the right step to better regulationThe firm is open to further engagement and leading conversations on Content moderation In South Sudan and Africa as whole Department of; Media Technology and Intellectual Proplerty law