The Government of Tanzania has initiated a new online regulation that will see government certify all bloggers in the country. Also, as part of the new regulation it will now cost anyone in Tanzania an annual payment of $930 to license a blog.
The new regulation not only affects bloggers but also covers online radio and television streaming services and affects online forums and social media users.
Sequel to this regulation, prospective online content providers will have to fill a form analytically bearing the estimated cost of investment, the number of directors and stakeholders in the platform, their share of capital, staff qualifications, expected dates of commencing operations, besides future growth plans.
Also, there is a clause in the regulation that gives the authorities the right to revoke a permit if a site publishes content that “causes annoyance, threatens harm or evil, encourages or incites crimes” or jeopardizes “national security or public health and safety.” Officials could also force managers to remove “prohibited content” within 12 hours or face fines not less than five million shillings ($2,210) or a year in prison.
According to Quartz Africa, the sweeping regulation, dubbed the Electronic and Postal Communications (Online Content) Regulations 2018, is set to give the government unfettered powers to police the web. When it was first proposed last year, observers and activists argued that some of the law’s definitions and wording were ambiguous, violated individual privacy, curtailed citizen’s right to free speech and expression, and went against the spirit of an open internet. Internet cafés are also expected to install surveillance cameras to record and archive activities inside their business premises.
The annual $930 fee would likely be exorbitant for an independent blogger in a country where the gross national income per capita is just $900.
According to Angela Quintal, the Committee to Protect Journalists’ Africa program director,“The registration requirements and the fees are likely to be a heavy burden for most bloggers and small-sized outlets streaming content in Tanzania, thereby reducing diversity in the media space in the process.”
The passing of the law is a culmination of president John Magufuli’s government’s clampdown on media outlets and social media use in the country. Newspapers have been banned for reporting on misconduct in the mining sector, radio stations closed for broadcasting “seditious” material, and online platforms like Jamii Forums targeted for investigating government corruption.
