Censorship at it's worst

in #censorship7 years ago

I have just read an article about how Zimbabwe is planning to censor social media before their 2018 elections. We all know that Africa in general is very corrupt, but this is just ridiculous.


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I have traveled to Zimbawe many times, both for pleasure and business and one thing I will never forget is how honest and welcoming the nation of Zimbabwe is. I have lived in a few countries around the world, and the people of Zimbabwe in my opinion is right up there with the best in the world. There main problem is their leader, Robert Mugabe. He destroyed a wonderful country over many decades and he just refuses to step down. I think he must be close to about 400 years old now ...

They saying goes that One countries terrorist is another countries freedom fighter, but in my mind you get plain stupidity in the middle somewhere.

The country became independent in 1980 and the countries name was changed from Rhodesia to Zimbabwe. It just went downhill from there to the point where he literally made the Zimbabwean dollar useless. In 2000 land distribution kicked in where people which farmed the land were violently removed from their farms.

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The Zimbabwean government already owns both the Mobile operator and fixed line operators Netone and Telone which also manages the Internet gateway of the country. One might think that you can still post on platforms like Steemit which is not censored, but guess what … a new law is currently being made which makes it illegal to post content against the government.

The government’s keenness to control the telecoms industry has expanded into the regulatory sector, with a computer and cybercrimes law now being finalised, according to government officials.
A draft version of the law says "a person, who intentionally … initiates any electronic communication, with the intent to coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress to a person, using a computer system … commits an offence" that is punishable.
On conviction, offenders will be imprisoned "for a period not exceeding five years" or a fine.
Critics say the law is targeted at social media activists who organise demonstrations through WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook among other platforms, and to contain social messages critical of the government.

You can read the full article here

I am not sure where Africa is going to, but it will not end up being a nice place, that much I can tell you.

Happy Steeming!


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So this is the new trend that will sweep the globe? Shut down social media or accounts that governments and establishment types don't agree with, also like they did with accounts related to French elections on facebook! Smh

This is indeed a new trend and it is frustrating the shit out of me :(

The UK is planning to do it too. It's the way Europe is going. Censorship for the sake of having safe spaces.

THERESA MAY TO CREATE NEW INTERNET THAT WOULD BE CONTROLLED AND REGULATED BY GOVERNMENT

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/theresa-may-internet-conservatives-government-a7744176.html

On conviction, offenders will be imprisoned "for a period not exceeding five years" or a fine.
Revenue source.

Dude, I am so fed up with censorship, which is happening in so many places around the world, in one form or another. Thank you for your post, I am now going to dig deeper into this story.
Upvoted and followed.

Thank you for the comment @irreverent-dan . If there only was a solution that will fix all of this.

Its a bit scary no? That things like that can just happen..that a few people can have so much power over many..

It is just ridiculous.

Yes. Screw censorship. Decentralize everything!!! Thanks for posting. I am now following! good luck steeming!

@drpuffnstuf, I had a nice chuckle now as your comment made me think of somebody... I had a guy that worked for me that got so fed-up with sorting out problems on end user computers that he always shouted : Burn it, just burn it all!!! ...

Why they would bother with censorship I do not know. Mad Bob Mugabe has the elections so rigged it is impossible to defeat him in a poll.

This is also very true. I hope he steps down before hos 411th birthday

I just wrote a post with the image of that bill, but the one I have at home :-)

It's bad in Africa, but it's no doubt bad in places like that because it's getting bad in the U.S. and Europe. The UK is quite an unfree country, and look at THIS:

THERESA MAY TO CREATE NEW INTERNET THAT WOULD BE CONTROLLED AND REGULATED BY GOVERNMENT

"The manifesto even suggests that the government might stop search engines like Google from directing people to pornographic websites. "We will put a responsibility on industry not to direct users – even unintentionally – to hate speech, pornography, or other sources of harm," the Conservatives write."

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/theresa-may-internet-conservatives-government-a7744176.html

Thanks for the comment @doule, yes this is something that is happening all over the world these days.

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