Bloggers, media organizations and six human rights won a temporary court injunction Friday against order of communications regulator to register their online platforms. Judge Fauz Twaib until another pending hearing the government’s deadline to heed tough new internet content rules cannot be enforced.
As per the new rules of state communications regulator (TCRA) bloggers could be fined more than 5 million shillings or put to jail for at least a year, or both if found defying it.
In the current scenario most of the bloggers in Tanzania are individuals and they are not registered companies. This makes things difficult for them in meeting registration requirements.
The John Magufuli government asked earlier applicants to fill a form detailing number of directors and stakeholders in the platform along with the qualifications of staff, estimated investment, future plans and become an authorized online content provider.
Proposed last year, the new regulation is dubbed as Electronic and Postal Communications (Online Content) Regulations 2018 and to provide government unfettered powers to the government to police the web.
Following the new rules several bloggers have shut down their websites.
Magufuli became president in 2015 and since then his government has clampdown heavily on media outlets and social media use in the country. He has earned the title of Bulldozer by critics due to such strict and controversial leadership style.
In 2017 the number of internet users in the country increased by 16 percent to 23 million. Data reveals 44 percent people use their smartphone to go online.
