Social media gag backlash

EXPERTS: GOVERNMENT CONTROL OF SOCIAL MEDIA ‘START OF DICTATORSHIP’

The public and experts have hit back at government’s proposal to try and control information online, saying it undermines freedom of speech and borders on a dictatorship.

Disgrace: SA shocked last year by voting against UN internet rights.

Government’s plan to regulate social media is another attempt to censor South Africans, which goes against the constitution and undermines freedom of speech, experts said.

Safety and Security Minister David Mahlobo recently said a regulation of social media was being considered because of fake news and scams.

The #HandsOffSocialMedia gained momentum on Twitter yesterday, with the public condemning talks of internet regulations – and analysts and organisations also added their voices.

“This is an ongoing narrative that government has in wanting to gain some level of control on speech in the online environment,” IT commentator Arthur Goldstuck said.

“It’s part of a long thread of government to place more control over the internet.”

Government was blaming and “looking to beat” social media, for opinions aired against it on various platforms.

“Yet the most flagrant example was the ANC through the scandal that they paid for misinformation to be shared on social media.”

Earlier this year, media reported the ANC had allegedly established a “war room” campaign ahead of the 2016 local government elections.

It allegedly sought to discredit opposition parties through fake news and paid Twitter accounts.

Goldstuck recalled that South Africa last year had voted alongside China and Russia against the United Nations resolution on human rights on the internet, which affords privacy and freedom of expression.

“And that shocked the world. It’s in fact a disgraceful track record in negating freedom of expression.

“This goes against freedom of expression and that’s enshrined in the constitution.”

Right2Know campaign’s Mark Weinberg said government trying to censor the internet was a clear indication that they heard the voices of the people but did not want to listen.

“The citizens would reject it and we would be loudly against it,” Weinberg said.

Political analyst Ralph Mathekga said these regulations would lead to a state which thinks it could think of behalf of citizens.

“And it would be the road to dictatorship.”

South Africans were intelligent enough to know fake news when they saw it, he said.

“Fake news is a global phenomenon. This is just an attempt to censor South Africans.

“If anything, the ANC was proliferating fake news through their ‘war rooms’,” Mathekga said.

“South Africans don’t need protection. This will have more consequences on democracy.”

See more online at www.citizen.co.za

The citizens will reject it and we will be loudly against it.