The President of the Senate, GODSWILL AKPABIO and Speaker of the House of Representatives, TAJUDEEN ABBAS have been urged to reject the recently reintroduced social media regulation bill.”

In a statement, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) said that the passage of the bill would unduly restrict the rights to freedom of expression and privacy.

SERAP also urged President BOLA TINUBU’s administration to stop its efforts to compel technological firms like Google and YouTube to restrict such “fundamental human rights.”

The group’s deputy director, KOLAWOLE OLUWADARE, believes the bill would criminalise the legitimate and lawful exercise of human rights.

According to him, any move to regulate social media would be inconsistent and incompatible with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and the country’s international human rights obligations.

OLUWADARE added that the reintroduction of the social media regulation bill would lead to the deterioration of the country's human rights situation, carry major economic costs for all sectors, and worsen social and economic inequalities.