NETWORK RESTRICTION TO TWITTER PLATFORM: A BRIDGE TO FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF NIGERIAN CITIZENS
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NETWORK RESTRICTION TO TWITTER PLATFORM: A BRIDGE TO FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF NIGERIAN CITIZENS
CHAPTER ONE OF NETWORK RESTRICTION TO TWITTER PLATFORM: A BRIDGE TO NIGERIAN CITIZENS’ FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS (A CASE STUDY OF TWITTER BAN) INTRODUCTION
Background of The study
The interconnected freedoms of communication, speech, and association lie at the heart of any free, democratic, rule-of-law society.Freedom of expression, free flow of information,
and media freedom and pluralism were all recognised as human rights in post-World War II intergovernmental instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR, 1948) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR, 1966).
Article 19 of both the UDHR and the ICCPR expresses this commitment. The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression’s 2011 Report makes a strong case for Internet freedom of expression.
In contrast to the arbitrariness he observes today, which allows for increased surveillance and monitoring of communications, the Rapporteur emphasises the necessity for clear regulations (Douwe Korff (2012) referenced in UN retrieved (2021).
constraints and regulations must be in compliance with Council of Europe norms, specifically the ECHR and Strasbourg Court case law on the small set of constraints on freedom of expression required in a democratic society.
Furthermore, any interference with the right to communicate, express opinions, or assemble must be based on clear, detailed, and accessible standards.
It goes without saying that the Internet and social media have become increasingly important in political operations.Blogging, video-sharing, and tweeting were crucial in North African and Middle Eastern political events in 2011.They are vital to human rights defenders worldwide. However, some governments have repressed the use of these new technology to assert ancient liberties.
Government authorities are increasingly contacting authors or websites to put pressure on them to remove content, threatening them with legal action, the withdrawal of contracts or licences, and outright bans,
even if the companies are situated in other countries.Governments also encourage supporters to file complaints with hosting firms against user-generated content.
The most severe tactics of stifling Internet communication have included simply turning off all Internet connection (Egypt in January 2011, and Syria at the time of writing), or even building a wholly state-controlled mini-Net (supposedly intended by Iran).
In some cases, such as Bahrain, governments have utilised their control over local Internet infrastructure to intentionally slow down connection speeds, particularly in newspaper offices, hotels, and houses. Thailand, Burma, China, and Iran have attempted to dominate online debates by organising pro-state posts.
China has put pressure on search engines to skew search results. Bloggers and Internet activists have faced threats and physical attacks in a number of nations. Following riots in numerous British cities, the government recommended granting authorities to shut down social networking sites in the event of future outbreaks.
These and other examples illustrate various occasions when the government imposed network limits on its citizens’ access to social networking sites, such as Nigeria’s current Twitter ban.These pressures raise problems about human rights, particularly whether firms should be compelled to reject pressure in order to preserve their users’ human rights.
Statement of the Problem
Blogging, video-sharing, and tweeting are all critical components of modern democracies’ political events. They are vital to human rights defenders worldwide. However, some governments have repressed the use of these new technology to assert ancient liberties.
In an effort to reduce political opposition, authoritarian states are increasing website blocking and filtering, content manipulation, attacks on and imprisonment of bloggers, punishment of ordinary users, cyber attacks, and coercion of website owners to remove content,
according to a recent Freedom House study of 37 countries. It implies that Internet limitations around the world are partially a reaction to the rising popularity and crucial involvement of sites like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter in political and social activism.
On June 4, the Nigerian authorities declared that Twitter’s operations in the country had been halted. The announcement came two days after Twitter removed a message from President Muhammadu Buhari in which Buhari threatened secessionist groups in the southeast to “treat them in the language they understand.”
Since declaring the ban, the government has directed federal prosecutors to jail anyone who continues to use Twitter, and Internet service providers to block access to the platform. Following some initial misunderstanding regarding whether Twitter was accessible, it appears that the platform is no longer accessible to the majority of Nigerians as of mid-June.
According to the Social-Media-Poll-Report (2020), over 120 million Nigerians have access to the internet and social networking sites, and approximately 40 million of them — 20% of the population — have a Twitter account.
The Twitter ban is only the most recent example of governments utilising their influence over the Internet and other digital technology to spy on, restrict, and oppress its citizens.
Thus, Twitter’s suspension in Nigeria invariably creates worries among its inhabitants about a breach of their fundamental human rights to free expression, communication, and media association.
As a result, the purpose of this research is to look into network restrictions on the Twitter platform as a link to Nigerian individuals’ fundamental rights (a case study of the Twitter ban).
Aim of the study
The study’s major goal is to investigate network restrictions on the Twitter platform: a link to Nigerian people’ fundamental rights. The study specifically seeks
To investigate if social networking sites such as Twitter facilitated Nigerians’ freedom of communication and association.
To determine whether government network restrictions on the Twitter platform will have an impact on citizens’ freedom of communication and association.
To establish whether the Nigerian government’s Twitter ban is a bridge to her citizens’ fundamental human rights.
1.4 Hypotheses for research
The following hypotheses guide the research.
HO1: Government network restrictions on the Twitter platform will not have an impact on citizens’ freedom of communication and association.
H1: Government network restrictions on the Twitter platform will have an impact on citizens’ freedom of expression and association.
HO2: The Nigerian government’s Twitter ban is no bridge to her citizens’ fundamental human rights.
H1: The Nigerian government’s Twitter ban is a link to her citizens’ fundamental human rights.
1.5 Significance of the research
The conclusions of this study will be important to all branches of government as well as Nigerian citizens. The study will, theoretically and empirically, inform the government’s arms, particularly the court, on the necessity to reconsider the current restrictions/ban on the Twitter platform, keeping in mind the importance of internet freedom.
As a result, all limits must be founded on explicit, unambiguous, and widely accessible statute law.Those enforcing laws regulating freedom of expression on social media must be completely independent, responsible, and have proper protections in place to minimise arbitrariness.
Furthermore, the study will add to the body of knowledge, act as a reference material, and be incredibly useful to students and scholars who may be interested in gathering data or doing research on the issue under study.
1.6 Scope of The Study
The focus of this study is limited to the network restriction to the Twitter platform: a bridge to Nigerian citizens’ fundamental human rights. The study, however, is limited to Abuja Twitter users.
1.7 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this investigation, the following elements may represent a hindrance.
Financial constraint- A lack of funds tends to restrict the researcher’s efficiency in locating relevant materials, literature, or information, as well as in the data collection procedure (internet, questionnaire, and interview).
Time constraint- The researcher will conduct this investigation alongside other academic activities. As a result, the amount of time spent on research will be reduced.
1.8 Definition of Terms
Twitter is a microblogging and social networking website that allows users to post and interact with messages known as “tweets.” Unregistered users can only view tweets, while registered users can post, like, and retweet them.
Twitter Ban: This is the official halt in the operation of Twitter ordered by the Federal Government of Nigeria on June 5th, 2021, until the proprietors of the social network meet the newly set condition imposed by the government of Nigeria.
Network restriction: A restricted network is where NAP sends a machine that requires remediation services or where access to the private network is blocked while remediation can occur.
Human rights are moral concepts or norms for particular standards of human behaviour that are routinely protected by local and international law.
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