A High Court in Tanzania has ruled stopping the implementation of new regulation for using the internet especially by online publishers such as bloggers.
Bloggers in the East African country are to pay $900 to secure license to operate after the government enacted new regulations to regulate the activities of online publishers.
The Tanzania’s new regulations titled Electronic and Postal Communications (Online Content) Regulations 2018, were released in March.
The government has signaled that it would now verify and charge all bloggers in the east African country, which means these online publishers would be paying annual fee of around $400 after securing licenses.
Its not online bloggers that would be affected by this latest regulation but online radio and television streaming services, online forums and social media users are also be suffer the same fate.
Under the new regulations, the Tanzania government reserves the power to grant or revoke 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.”
But the high court has asked that the implementation be halted for now with the court saying it will give its reason for halting the implementation of the law next week.
Mahakama Kuu kanda Mtwara leo imetoa zuio la muda(Temporary Injuction) dhidi ya matumizi ya kanuni za maudhui ya kimtandao (Online Content Regulations) ambazo matumizi yake yamekwishaanza na tarehe ya mwisho ya bloga na mitandao kuridhia ilikuwa 5 May 2018. #ChangeTanzania pic.twitter.com/ZfhHcCe2qx
— Change Tanzania (@ChangeTanzania) May 4, 2018
The application to oppose the regulations was made by human rights organisations, the media and popular Tanzanian blogging site Jamii Forums.
About 23.6 million people out of Uganda’s 41 million population use mobile phones and 17 million use the internet.
Source: Africafeeds.com
