Tanzanian President Targeting Freedom of Speech with New Law

Tanzania President John Magufli is targeting freedom of expression of the people, claims critics protesting the new law regulating online-related content.

Signed in mid-March this year, the Electronic and Postan Communications (Online Content) Regulations 2017 demands an annual fee of about $900 from bloggers and other online publishing media apart from making it compulsory to get a licence from the government before publish any material online.

Critics and protestors regard the new law and its associated fee a further bid by the president to gag dissident voices.

The new regulation was initially published by the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) and it gives the government right to revoke a permit too if the published content leads to public disorder or causes annoyance. A fine can also be levied on blogger for publishing such restricted content.

John Magufuli has earlier temporarily banned couple of media houses from publishing their publications like the Swahili daily Tanzania Daima was suspended for 90 days due to false information published.

Weekend publication of Nipashe was shut down for three months for publishing content that apperently did not go well with the president.

In the past several journalists were detained and few went missing.

Meanwhile, Reporters Without Borders has condemned the new law that targets freedom of expression.