Tunisia to blacklist social media users who criticise state officials

In another step back in the state's tolerance of criticism and opposition, Tunisian authorities will punish individuals using online platforms to criticise state officials and harm the state's interests.

On Wednesday, 23 August, the Tunisian ministries of justice, interior and technology issued a press release accusing unnamed people of seeking to "harm the state's interests" and "slander state symbols."

"Criminal charges have been raised to reveal the identity of social media users who intend to exploit these platforms to promote false news, data and rumours," read the press release.

The three ministries also said those who share content produced by others could face criminal charges "inside and outside the Tunisian soil."

According to the ministries ' release, an official blacklist of social media accounts and pages whose content should not be shared will be published soon.

Several activists called the new measures a "declaration of war on freedom of expression."

This is a declaration of war on freedom of expression. Silencing critics will not solve any of the country’s problems. #Tunisia https://t.co/KA1q1Yjfnn

— Asma Ghribi (@AsmaGhribi) August 24, 2023

"They want Tunisia to collapse in total silence. 'Agree, be a hypocrite, or leave the country' is becoming an official government policy," wrote New York-based Tunisian politician analyst Mohamed Dhia Hammami on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter. 

The three ministers' decision was released after a cabinet meeting with President Kais Saied, who accused social media users who share criticism online of attempting "to create chaos and destabilise" the country.

"Defamation and threat campaigns often target a specific party or people with [specific official] positions," he added at a cabinet meeting at the Carthage palace on Wednesday.

The recent Saied-sponsored measure of blacklisting opponents' online platforms doubled down on his anti-cybercrimes decree issued last year as a part of the post-July 2021 exceptional decisions.

In July 2021, President Saied suddenly shut down parliament, dismissed the government and moved to rule by decree before rewriting the constitution, moves his critics called a coup that pulled apart the democracy built after the 2011 revolution.

On 13 September 2022, President Saied issued a decree against spreading false information and rumours online, with prison sentences of up to 10 years for those who breach the rules.

"Anyone found to have used information networks to promote [or] publish ... false news to harm public security and national defence could face a five-year prison sentence and a fine of 50,000 Tunisian dinars (US$15,600)," reads Decree-Law No. 54.

The punishment is doubled if the targeted person is a public official.

Several commentators perceive Decree-Law 54 as a dangerous censorship that exacerbates the fragility of freedom of expression in the bedrock of the 2011 uprisings.

Dozens of activists have already been prosecuted under Decree Law 54 for voicing criticism online, including Former member of the Electoral Commission Board Sami Ben Salama for his criticism of the Board and activist Hamza Al-Obeidi for a Facebook post calling for revolution.