#HandsOffSocialMedia: We have the right to speak

The problem is that the “best democracies” that have these types of controls include Zimbabwe, China, Vietnam and North Korea which are hardly examples with the best human rights records.

Obviously, the public is outraged by this suggestion and it represents a very worrying trend that suggests a move towards a clamp down on freedom of expression.  In China, there is no access to Facebook and the company is working hard to try and be allowed back into the fold. 

There were even reports they were developing a software censorship tool in order for this to happen.  Last year the Zimbabwean government blocked the Whatsapp service during a national workers stay-away which had been organised to put pressure on the Mugabe regime.

Some experts and commentators say it would be impossible to clamp down on social media in South Africa in the same way and that it is unlikely to happen but others say the more worrying trend is that the cabinet is even thinking along these lines at all. 

Shepstone & Wylie Social Media Law Department