By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay
The Sierra Leone government is contemplating passing a law to crackdown on fake news, Minister of Information and Communication, Mohamed Rahman Swarray, has said.
Mr Swaray told Politico that the process of developing the law was at an advanced stage.
“Fake news is definitely undermining the fight against COVID-19,” he said, adding: “Saving Sierra Leoneans’ lives is far better than watching some faceless people sitting somewhere and sharing information which they know is not correct.”
The minister was speaking shortly after a press conference at State House on Wednesday, where he raised the issue and suggested he would make the recommendation to the president for such a law.
Fake news has long been a major problem for Sierra Leone, but the last two months of response to the coronavirus pandemic has underscored the need to take urgent action. Some of the fake news had the potential to undermine the measures put in place by the government in the fight against the virus.
Almost three weeks ago a woman died after a cardiac attack while rushing to pick her child up from school after fake news about vaccination of children was spread on social media.
Swaray didn’t provide any clear timeline, but he said the law could come in to effect soon.
Many countries across the world have developed laws to deal with the menace. This is not the first time the Sierra Leone government has considered a regulation to deal with fake news.
However there are concerns over the potential for impeding free speech in the course of enforcing the law.
Legislations on fake news vary from one country to another. In some countries social media companies are ordered to put a fake news content down, whiles in order countries fines and even jail terms are imposed on perpetrators.
When asked about what deterrent options Sierra Leone’s brand of the law might have, Swarray said: “Every option is on the table, it might include fines and jail term.”
The country is currently under State of Emergency, which means laws like these could be developed and enforced even without the approval of the legislature.
Attorney General and Minister of Finance, Priscilla Schwartz, who was present at the State House press briefing, said: “The law allows the President and those he has empowered under this emergency to make such regulations, rules and orders for ninety days before it goes to Parliament.”
She added: “If we choose to extend any law, rules or order beyond the ninety days, then we are compelled to take it to Parliament.”
Sierra Leone doesn’t have a comprehensive law to deal with emerging cyber problems like fake news.
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