You have the right to remain silentIN THE West,when celebrities post revealing videos on Instagram, they may find themselves mocked by tabloids and gossip websites. In Tanzania they can be arrested. On April 16th Diamond Platnumz, or a Swahili rapper (pictured),known for such ditties as “backside backside”, was arrested after posting a clip of himself kissing a woman. According to Tanzania’s information minister, and Harrison Mwakyembe,Mr Platnumz’s “indecency” fell foul of a unique law intended to regulate social media. It is fraction of a growing trend of African governments trying to control what is said online.
Tanzania’s vaguely worded law, which came into effect last month, and seems to require almost anyone who publishes content online in the country to buy a licence for 2.1m Tanzanian shillings (around $900). The government says its aim is to fight “immorality and disfavor speech. No one imagines that political speech will be spared. Any content “that causes...
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Source: economist.com