OPPRESSION TOOL! …Like Criminal Libel, Like Cyber Act

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OPPRESSION TOOL!
…Like Criminal Libel, Like Cyber Act


By Ibrahim Alusine Kamara (Kamalo)
Cyber law, which is also known as internet law or digital law, means the legally instituted regulations and frameworks that govern digital activities. This law covers a large range of issues, including online communication, e-commerce, digital privacy, and the prevention and prosecution of cybercrimes.
Cyber law is important because it addresses various legal challenges in the digital age, as well as helps protect individuals, organizations, and governments from online criminal activities while ensuring privacy and data security, and regulates online activities to maintain order and safety on the internet.
Simply put, cyber law helps safeguard individual privacy, data security, and intellectual property rights, also promotes respectful and honest interactions in the cyberspace.
According to experts of cyber law, however, Email and internet fraud, identity fraud (where personal information is stolen and used), theft of financial or card payment data, theft and sale of corporate data, cyber extortion (demanding money to prevent a threatened attack), ransomware attacks (a type of cyber extortion), cryptojacking (where hackers mine cryptocurrency using resources they do not own), cyberespionage (where hackers access government or company data), interfering with systems in a way that compromises a network, infringing copyright.
Illegal gambling, selling illegal items online, and soliciting, producing, or possessing child pornography are the major types of cybercrime, defined as a criminal activity that either targets or uses a computer, a computer network or a networked device.
It is said that most cybercrimes are committed by criminals or hackers who want to make money, but occasionally, they aim to damage computers or networks not for reasons other than profit but political or personal. In that avowed aim, they either target computers using viruses or other types of malware, or both.
In Sierra Leone, the cyber law was enacted by President Julius Maada Bio in November 2021 to prevent the abusive use of the cyberspace. In the President’s wisdom, he repealed from the country’s law books Part V of the Public Order Act of 1965 that criminalised libel in a bid to usher in a serene atmosphere where free speech and press freedom can reign Supreme.
However, observers say while cyber laws are unique and truly benefitting most democratic nations, it doesn’t seem to be entirely the case for Sierra Leone, where its implementation is alleged to be steeped in controversies, biases and selectivism.
In the observers’ opinion, contrary to the globally accepted types of cybercrimes as aforementioned, Sierra Leone’s own seems to be the replica of a law worse than the repealed seditious libel law, in that journalists practicing under the banner of registered media institutions within the ambit of the country’s laws could be declared wanted and eventually arrested for going to press with a story without talking to the one involved, irrespective of the abundant piece(s) of evidence held.
Apart from mainstream media publications, the cybercrime law would be used against citizens who use the cyberspace to criticise the top echelons of the government or express dissenting voices, but those who are seen to abuse the same cyberspace against the common citizenry or opponents are spared because they are either acolytes or associates of the powers-that-be, leaving the impression that President Bio’s cybercrime law is only being effectuated against the opponents and critical voices, not members of the ruling class and those falling short of the cyber law in their interest.
The authorities are, therefore, urged to do the needful in the execution of the country’s cybercrime law other than use it as a weapon to disadvantage or punish any particular individuals or group of individuals.

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