CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Communication, expression, and association are all intertwined liberties that are at the basis of any free, democratic society based on the rule of law. In the post-World War II intergovernmental documents, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR, 1948) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, freedom of expression, free flow of information, and media freedom and pluralism have all been recognized as human rights (ICCPR, 1966). Article 19 of both the UDHR and the ICCPR expresses this commitment. The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression’s 2011 Report makes a strong case for the relevance of online freedom of expression. In contrast to the arbitrariness he perceives, the Rapporteur emphasizes the importance of clear regulations.
Constraints and regulations must adhere to Council of Europe norms, specifically the ECHR and Strasbourg Court case law on the limited set of restrictions on freedom of expression that are required in a democratic society. Furthermore, any interference with the right to communicate, express opinions, or assemble must be based on clear, detailed, and easily accessible regulations.
It’s no secret that the Internet and social media have become increasingly important in political discussions.
In 2011, political developments in North Africa and the Middle East necessitated the use of blogging, video-sharing, and tweeting.
Human rights defenders all across the world rely on them. However, some governments have repressed the use of these new technology to assert ancient liberties. Officials from the government are becoming more visible. The most severe means of limiting Internet communication have included simply turning down all Internet access (Egypt, January 2011), or even building a wholly state-controlled mini-Net (Syria at the time of writing) (apparently planned by Iran). Governments have utilized their control over local Internet architecture in some cases, such as Bahrain, to purposefully slow down connection speeds, particularly at newspaper offices, hotels, and houses. Thailand, Burma, China, and Iran have all attempted to sway online debates by submitting structured pro-state posts. China has put pressure on search engines to skew results. Bloggers and Internet activists have faced threats and physical attacks in a number of nations. Following riots in numerous British cities, the government recommended giving itself the authority to shut down social media sites in the future.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Communication, expression, and association are all intertwined liberties that are at the foundation of any free, democratic society founded on the rule of law. In the post-World War II intergovernmental instruments, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR, 1948) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR, 1966), freedom of expression, free flow of information, and media freedom and pluralism have all been recognized as human rights (ICCPR, 1966). Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) both make this promise. The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression’s 2011 Report makes a strong case for the relevance of Internet freedom of expression. In contrast to the arbitrary nature he perceives, the Rapporteur emphasizes the necessity for clear guidelines.
The ban on Twitter is only the most recent example of governments utilizing their influence over the Internet and other digital technology to monitor, censor, and oppress its citizens.
As a result, the banning of Twitter in Nigeria invariably raises citizen concerns about a violation of their fundamental human rights to free expression, communication, and media association.
As a result, the goal of this research is to look into network limits on Twitter as a way to connect Nigerian individuals’ fundamental rights (a case study of the Twitter ban)
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The study’s major goal is to look into network restrictions on the Twitter platform as a link to Nigerian people’ fundamental rights. The study aims to find out more about
To see if social media sites like Twitter aided Nigerians’ freedom of expression and association.
To see if a government network restriction on the Twitter platform will have an impact on citizens’ freedom of speech and association.
To see if the Nigerian government’s Twitter ban is a barrier to citizens’ fundamental human rights.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following theories are used to guide the research.
HO1: Government network restrictions on the Twitter platform will have no impact on citizens’ right to free speech and association.
H1: Government network restriction to twitter platform will affects citizens freedom of communication and association.
HO2: Nigeria Government Twitter ban is no bridge to the fundamental human rights of her citizens
H1: The Nigerian government’s Twitter ban is a link to the citizens’ fundamental human rights.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The following factors poses to be a limitation during the course of this research
Financial constraint– Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
Time constraint– The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The scope of this research is limited to network restrictions on the Twitter platform: a link to Nigerian citizens’ fundamental human rights. However, the study is confined to Abuja Twitter users.
LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
During the course of this investigation, the following elements have proven to be a hindrance.
Financial constraints– A lack of funds impedes the researcher’s efficiency in locating relevant materials, literature, or information, as well as in the data gathering procedure (internet, questionnaire and interview).
Time constraint– The researcher will be working on this subject while also doing other academic tasks. As a result, the amount of time spent on research will be reduced.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Twitter is a microblogging and social networking website based in the United States that allows users to send and receive messages known as “tweets.” Unregistered users can only view tweets, while registered users can post, like, and retweet them.
Twitter Ban: This is the official halt in the functioning of Twitter, as decreed by the Federal Government of Nigeria on June 5th, 2021, until the proprietors of the social network meet the government’s newly stated requirements.
A restricted network is where NAP sends a computer that requires remediation services or where NAP blocks access to the private network while remediation is completed.
Human rights are moral concepts or conventions that govern certain standards of human behavior and are protected by the United Nations.
REFERENCE
Nigeria bans Twitter when the corporation deletes President Buhari’s message, according to CNN (2021). On the 5th of June 2021, I was able to get a hold of some information
Douwe Korff, Douwe Korff, Douwe Korff, Douwe Korff, Douwe Korff, Douwe Korff, Douwe Korff, Douwe Korff, Dou https://rm.coe.int/16806da579 2021 is the original version.
Report on a Social Media Poll (2020) Google search yielded the 2020 Global Social Media Market Survey report.
The Washington Post is a news organization based in the United (2021) “Nigeria suspends Twitter after the president’s account was frozen by the social media platform.” The ISSN number for this article is 0190-8286. On the 5th of June 2021, I was able to get a hold of some information
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