Echotitbits – Nigeria News

Tag: free speech

  • Judicial Accountability: Cyberstalking Trial Commences for Omoyele Sowore

    Judicial Accountability: Cyberstalking Trial Commences for Omoyele Sowore

    Judicial Accountability: Cyberstalking Trial Commences for Omoyele Sowore

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has commenced trial proceedings for Omoyele Sowore over alleged criminal defamation and cyberstalking-related counts tied to social media posts about President Bola Tinubu.

    Additional coverage across Nigerian media and stakeholder reactions indicate that the implications of the development will be closely watched in the coming days as policy, security, and market signals evolve.

    Echotitbits take: This case will serve as a litmus test for the 2024 Cybercrimes Amendment Act, clarifying where the line is drawn between political criticism and criminal defamation in Nigeria’s digital public sphere.

    Source: ThisDay – https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/01/19/sowores-trial-for-alleged-cyberstalking-begins-january-22/ (2026-01-22)

    Photo credit: ThisDay

    2026-01-22 11:00:00

     

  • US denies visas to former EU commissioner, activists in tech-regulation clash

    US denies visas to former EU commissioner, activists in tech-regulation clash

    Photo Credit: Vanguard
    2025-12-24 07:36:00

    A statement reported by Vanguard says the United States has denied visas to a former EU commissioner and several activists, accusing them of trying to pressure US tech companies into censoring American viewpoints under Europe’s platform rules.

    The move deepens a growing transatlantic clash: Europe wants tougher content governance and platform accountability; Washington is increasingly framing some foreign regulation as an attack on US free speech and US companies.

    The immediate consequence is diplomatic: targeted individuals lose travel access, allies protest, and the tech policy dispute becomes a migration/visa enforcement issue rather than purely a regulatory debate.

    Longer-term, the action signals that tech regulation is now a geopolitical battlefield—where immigration tools are being used to punish perceived “extraterritorial” influence.

    AP reported Rubio labelled the targets “radical” activists, while The Guardian described the bans as an “attack on European tech regulators.”

    Echotitbits take: Nigeria should pay attention because global platform rules often “spill” into African moderation outcomes. Watch whether Nigeria’s digital regulation strategy aligns more with EU-style compliance or US-style free-speech framing—and how that affects local civic space.

    Source: Vanguard — December 24, 2025 (https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/12/us-denies-visas-to-eu-ex-commissioner-four-others-over-tech-rules/)
    Vanguard 2025-12-24