Shehu Sani, a former Kaduna senator has pointed attempting to the dilemma and dicey situation of regulating the use of social media in Nigeria, explaining that there is a risk of gagging free speech and preventing accountability in governance.
He stated this in a post on X while reacting to a demand by the Department of State Services made to X Corp to delete a controversial post made by Omoyele Sowore.
In his post, Shehu acknowledged that social media can be used for harassment and violence, but regulating it can be detrimental, therefore, he argued that it must be handled carefully.
“If you regulate the social media, you trample on freedom of speech and shield governments, states, and institutions from being held accountable.
“If you don’t regulate the social media, it becomes a tool for hate, harassment, defamation, corrupting culture, and incitement to violence.”
The former senator explore that the situation is not limited to Nigeria, stating that “even Western democracies are confused about what to do with the social media.”
He noted that stringent regulation of the social media would “trample on freedom of speech and shield governments, states and institutions from being held accountable,” while a lack of effective oversight risks turning platforms into “a tool for hate, harassment, defamation, corrupting culture and incitement to violence.”
“The social media is like a gun, it can be used to prevent murder and to commit murder,” he wrote, urging democratic states to strike and uphold “that balance between rights and decency.”