Fundamental Human Rights Should Be Protected, Replicated Online- Ujam

ICT Expert and Government Affairs Policy Advisor, Dr Chukwuemeka Ujam, has emphasised the importance of legislative norms governing the use of digital infrastructure in ensuring that citizens' rights were respected not only offline but also online.

Ujam, who sponsored the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill, in the eighth Assembly said during an interview session with ChannelsTV on Monday that the protection of fundamental human rights was the driving force behind the bill.

“Many people hide behind the anonymity of a black box, phone, or computer and say and write all kinds of things, defaming people's character, maligning individuals, and promoting other individuals falsely.

“There has to be a responsible way and a regulation that speaks to protecting individuals and corporations from all their activities online,” he added.

Citing the instance of responsible acquisition of data, Ujam noted one can not bypass the judicial processes required to access these data. 

“As such, the bill protects the average Nigerian from the surveillance of law enforcement and private institutions as it gives power to the citizens to seek redress,”he said.

Speaking on the subject, Adegoke Adeboye, senior manager at Paradigm Initiative, noted that the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill complements the Data Protection Act, and needs to be passed because it encourages the freedom of expression within the ambience of the law, and defines what this freedom means in reality. 

“For instance, how do we draw the line between someone expressing their opinion or inciting violence?” he asked.

Ujam opined that the advent of highly developed technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made it imperative that the bill is revisited in the 10th Assembly because it serves as Nigeria’s leapfrog into the future.

“In fact, If I were to suggest, I would say that any progress on AI needs to be halted because the lawmakers need to catch up with what is going on everywhere. As you can imagine, we are going into a world that would be controlled by robots,” he noted.