BAK
JF-Expert Member
- Feb 11, 2007
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01Apr 2018
The Guardian Reporter
Guardian On Sunday
How govt plans to police the internet
TOUGH, NEW RULES All users of internet cafes will now be recorded by surveillance cameras and the video footage stored for future use as incriminating evidence in the event that a cybercrime is committed
THE government has enacted tough, new regulations aimed at policing online content in the country, with anyone convicted of failure to observe the rules liable to pay a hefty fine of at least 5 million shillings or spend a minimum of 12 months in jail or both.
The Electronic and Postal Communications (Online Content) Regulations of 2018, which were gazetted this month are aimed at tackling hate speech and protecting children against indecent online content, but they also impose tough rules for online users.
All users of internet cafe services will from now onwards be recorded by surveillance cameras at the centres and the video footages will be archived for future use as evidence in the event that a cyber-crime is committed.
The regulations apply to application services licensees such as mobile phone operators and internet service providers (ISPs), bloggers, internet cafes, online content hosts, online forums, online radio or television, social media, subscribers and users of online content and any other related online content.
The new rules give the state-run Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) powers to regulate online content services by keeping a register of all bloggers, online forums and online radio and television outlets.
TCRA has also been given powers to take action against "non-compliance to these regulations, including to order removal of prohibited content."
The regulations impose obligations on online content providers to ensure that online content is safe, secure and does not contravene the provisions of any written law.
Online content providers are also required to "take into account trends and cultural sensitivities of the general public," use moderating tools to filter prohibited content, have in place mechanisms to identify source of content and ensure prohibited content is removed within 12 hours upon being notified.
Online content providers are also required to cooperate with law enforcement officers in the course of their investigations.
On the other hand, online users have an obligation to "be responsible and accountable for the information he/she posts in an online forum, social media, blog and any other related media and ensure his/her posts do not contravene the provision of these regulations and any other written law," according to the rules.
Owners of blogs, online radio and TV stations would now have to seek a formal licence from TCRA and pay a fee.
It is also now mandatory for all owners of internet cafes in Tanzania to ensure that all computers used for public internet access at their businesses are assigned unique public static IP addresses and install surveillance cameras to record and archive activities inside the cafes.
Internet cafes must also record the identities of everyone who uses their computers and keep the register of users for a period of 12 months.
Online content service providers are prohibited from publishing "indecent content, obscene content, hate speech, explicit sex acts or pornography, sex crimes, rape or attempted rape and content that portrays violence, whether physical, verbal or psychological that can upset, alarm and offend viewers and cause undue fear among the audience or encourage imitation."
The government also published a set of separate rules known as the Electronic and Postal Communications (Radio and Television Broadcasting Content) Regulations of 2018 to regulate the content of mainstream radio and TV stations.
The tough rules come amid a rapid growth in the number of internet users in the country, with social media platforms such as online discussion forums, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp and Telegram growing increasingly popular among youths.
The number of internet users in Tanzania rose by 16 per cent at the end of 2017 to 23 million, with the majority of those using their mobile phone handsets to go online, according to latest data from TCRA.
Mobile phone use has surged in the country over the past decade, helped by the launch of cheaper smartphones and data services.
Around 19 million internet users in Tanzania accessed the internet last year through their mobile phones, up from 18 million in 2016.
Internet penetration in the nation of around 52 million people ticked up to 45 per cent in 2017 from 40 per cent a year before, while the number of mobile phone subscribers declined marginally to 40.08 million last year from 40.17 million in 2016.
The Guardian Reporter
Guardian On Sunday
How govt plans to police the internet
TOUGH, NEW RULES All users of internet cafes will now be recorded by surveillance cameras and the video footage stored for future use as incriminating evidence in the event that a cybercrime is committed
THE government has enacted tough, new regulations aimed at policing online content in the country, with anyone convicted of failure to observe the rules liable to pay a hefty fine of at least 5 million shillings or spend a minimum of 12 months in jail or both.
The Electronic and Postal Communications (Online Content) Regulations of 2018, which were gazetted this month are aimed at tackling hate speech and protecting children against indecent online content, but they also impose tough rules for online users.
All users of internet cafe services will from now onwards be recorded by surveillance cameras at the centres and the video footages will be archived for future use as evidence in the event that a cyber-crime is committed.
The regulations apply to application services licensees such as mobile phone operators and internet service providers (ISPs), bloggers, internet cafes, online content hosts, online forums, online radio or television, social media, subscribers and users of online content and any other related online content.
The new rules give the state-run Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) powers to regulate online content services by keeping a register of all bloggers, online forums and online radio and television outlets.
TCRA has also been given powers to take action against "non-compliance to these regulations, including to order removal of prohibited content."
The regulations impose obligations on online content providers to ensure that online content is safe, secure and does not contravene the provisions of any written law.
Online content providers are also required to "take into account trends and cultural sensitivities of the general public," use moderating tools to filter prohibited content, have in place mechanisms to identify source of content and ensure prohibited content is removed within 12 hours upon being notified.
Online content providers are also required to cooperate with law enforcement officers in the course of their investigations.
On the other hand, online users have an obligation to "be responsible and accountable for the information he/she posts in an online forum, social media, blog and any other related media and ensure his/her posts do not contravene the provision of these regulations and any other written law," according to the rules.
Owners of blogs, online radio and TV stations would now have to seek a formal licence from TCRA and pay a fee.
It is also now mandatory for all owners of internet cafes in Tanzania to ensure that all computers used for public internet access at their businesses are assigned unique public static IP addresses and install surveillance cameras to record and archive activities inside the cafes.
Internet cafes must also record the identities of everyone who uses their computers and keep the register of users for a period of 12 months.
Online content service providers are prohibited from publishing "indecent content, obscene content, hate speech, explicit sex acts or pornography, sex crimes, rape or attempted rape and content that portrays violence, whether physical, verbal or psychological that can upset, alarm and offend viewers and cause undue fear among the audience or encourage imitation."
The government also published a set of separate rules known as the Electronic and Postal Communications (Radio and Television Broadcasting Content) Regulations of 2018 to regulate the content of mainstream radio and TV stations.
The tough rules come amid a rapid growth in the number of internet users in the country, with social media platforms such as online discussion forums, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp and Telegram growing increasingly popular among youths.
The number of internet users in Tanzania rose by 16 per cent at the end of 2017 to 23 million, with the majority of those using their mobile phone handsets to go online, according to latest data from TCRA.
Mobile phone use has surged in the country over the past decade, helped by the launch of cheaper smartphones and data services.
Around 19 million internet users in Tanzania accessed the internet last year through their mobile phones, up from 18 million in 2016.
Internet penetration in the nation of around 52 million people ticked up to 45 per cent in 2017 from 40 per cent a year before, while the number of mobile phone subscribers declined marginally to 40.08 million last year from 40.17 million in 2016.
