‘Social media bill will increase censorship in an already oppressive environment’

* Photo: Pixabay

Jointly prepared by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and allying Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the social media bill passed the Parliamentary Justice Commission yesterday (July 23).

As the bill is now expected to be debated and taken to vote at the General Assembly of the Parliament next week, the International Press Institute (IPI) has expressed its concerns in a written statement.

CLICK - Parliamentary Justice Commission passes social media bill

In its statement entitled "IPI urges Turkey to withdraw repressive social media bill," the global network of editors, media executives and journalists has called on the authorities "to withdraw a sweeping new draft bill regulating social media." "Measures would increase digital censorship in already oppressive environment for journalism," the statement has read.

'Extremely worrying for freedom of expression'

The IPI has especially raised concerns about how the measures to be introduced by the bill will affect independent journalists in Turkey.

Reminding that the bill "introduces several requirements and obligations on social network providers that share personal data on individual account with the judiciary," the IPI has briefly said:

"This could accelerate the government's efforts to investigate and prosecute critical voices, including independent journalists."

"Turkey has been arbitrarily targeting online news media and news articles with court rulings on access blocks. Local courts' swift rulings to block critical news content of the governmental officials have increased in recent years.

"The government's approach to integrate and legitimize censorship into social media platforms, a last bastion for people in Turkey to share their views, is extremely worrying for preserving the freedom of expression.

"IPI fears that the new regulation will be used as another tool in the hands of the government to remove the critical and dissenting content. The proposed new regulations are expected to advance Turkish authorities' efforts to force social media companies to either delete content or hand over user data."

'Last safe haven for independent journalists'

Within this context, IPI Deputy Director Scott Griffen has called on Turkey to withdraw the regulation which has not yet passed into law:

"Social media networks are one of the last safe havens for Turkey's independent journalists – many of whom were hounded out of their positions at media houses now under government control – to do their jobs."

"The Turkish government is now seeking to snuff out free expression online. This bill's draconian penalties amounts to blackmail of providers, who we fear will be pressured into removing content and handing over user data based on Turkey's arbitrary and boundless definitions of terrorism and other crimes that are already used to persecute journalists.

"We urge Turkey to withdraw this bill, which follows in the footsteps of other authoritarian regimes unable to tolerate a free online space."

(SD)