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4 Afr. Hum. Rts. Y.B. 231 (2020)
Social Media and the Prohibition of 'False News': Can the Free Speech Jurisprudence of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights Provide a Litmus Test?

handle is hein.journals/ahry2020 and id is 247 raw text is: Social media and the prohibition of 'false news': can the free speech jurisprudence of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights provide a litmus test? Aaronl Olurniyi Saiau* https://orCid.Org/000-0002-0703-7-q-4 ABSTRACT: Based on free speech theories, international human rights law, opinions of human rights mechanisms and scholars, this article argues that the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (African Commission) should expand its 'traditional' free speech jurisprudence to meet the exigencies of adjudicating emergent cybercrime laws in Africa that criminalise 'fake news' on social media. While social media's expansion of opportunities to exercise the right to free speech and power to challenge dominant discourses deepen Africa's democratisation, its propensity for abuse must nonetheless be addressed. Consequently, many African governments have interfered with internet access either during public protests or election periods and resorted to ill-conceived cybercrime laws that criminalise the communication of so-called 'fake news' on social media. Around 23 African states have cybercrime laws in place that contain provisions criminalising 'fake news'. These states include Botswana, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo and Uganda. Despite being unduly protective of high-ranking government officials, these criminal libel laws present many conceptual and legal difficulties. Nonetheless, the African Commission can resolve these challenges and effectively tackle disinformation on social media through a creative interpretation of article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. TITRE ET RESUME EN FRANCAIS: Interruption d'acces aux r6seaux sociaux et interdiction des fausses informations : la jurisprudence de la Commission africaine des droits de 1'homme et des peuples sur la libert6 d'expression peut-elle fournir un test d6cisif? RESUME: En se fondant sur les thdories relatives a la libert6 d'expression, sur le droit international des droits de ihomme ainsi que sur les opinions des m6canismes des droits de ihomme et la doctrine, le prdsent article soutient que la Commission africaine des droits de ihomme et des peuples (Commission africaine) devrait 6tendre sa jurisprudence traditionnelle» sur la libert6 d'expression pour r6pondre aux exigences du contentieux sur les lois 6mergentes relatives a la cybercriminalit6 en Afrique qui criminalisent la publication de «fausses informations» sur les reseaux sociaux. Si il'argissement des possibilit6s offertes par les m6dias sociaux pour exercer le droit a la libert6 d'expression et le pouvoir de contester les discours dominants est une valeur ajout6e a la ddmocratisation en Afrique, sa propension aux abus doit n6anmoins &tre abord6e. Par consdquent, de nombreux gouvernements africains ont interfdr6 avec l'acces a internet pendant les manifestations publiques ou les p6riodes * PhD (UCT), LLB, LLM (OAU, Ile Ife), Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, Department of Jurisprudence & International Law, Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago Iwoye, Nigeria; niyisalau@yahoo.co.uk 231 AO Salau Social media and the prohibition of false news': can the free speech jurisprudence of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights provide a litmus test?' (2020) 4 African Human Rights Yearbook 231-254 http://doi.org/10.29053/2523-1367/202o/v4a12

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