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On social media, bill 22.20 is fueling controversy. Presented by Minister of Justice Mohamed Ben Abdelkader, the text sets red lines for the use of social media platforms in Morocco. The government adopted the bill in question during a March 19 meeting, hours before declaring a state of health emergency in the Kingdom.
In fact, the bill «aims to combat new trends in electronic crime by strengthening defense mechanisms, without compromising freedom of digital communication, a form of freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution», said the former communication minister and government spokesperson, Hassan Abyaba.
«These provisions also call for taking note of the various forms of cybercrime», the Minister said, referring to those which affect «general security, public economic order, the spread of 'fake news', the promotion of behaviors that can harm the dignity and minds of others, as well as crimes targeting minors», he explained.
A controversial bill
Since then, the adopted bill has disappeared from the news. It was not published on the website of the General Secretariat of the Government. Also, it has not been submitted to the office of the House of Representatives, as it would normally have been done whenever the government would give the go-ahead to each bill. That is to say that examining the bill has gone unnoticed. At the time, Yabiladi had tried to reach the Minister Mohamed Ben Abdelkader for more details but in vain.
مشروع قانون مخبي على الجميع فيه مواد مرعبة ، واش غادي ايدوز هادشي في البرلمان في ظل أزمة كورونا ? #كورونا #المغرب pic.twitter.com/vXyaGCEaXU
— swinga (@MustaphaSwinga) April 27, 2020
The government has opted for a temporary withdrawal of the bill from the parliamentary circuit while waiting for better days, especially as Morocco is one of the countries currently dealing with the new coronavirus health crisis.
«The government is scared of unveiling this controversial project. It is for this reason that the bill’s provisions are kept a secret. With the exception of ministers, no one is aware of its content», wrote Moroccan researcher Omar Cherkaoui on his Facebook page.
But five weeks after its adoption, parts of this bill were leaked to social media by Moroccan YouTuber Mustapha Swinga. In addition to the fight against «fake news», Yabiladi understands that the Minister of Justice also intended to prohibit calls for boycotting brands, as was the case in 2018. Yabiladi was able to confirm this as it managed to have access to said bill.
Projet de loi n°22.20 by Yabiladi on Scribd
Les services de communication d’El Othmani réagissent
In fact, article 14 of said bill indicates that people calling for «the boycott of products, goods and services on social media» may face a prison sentence ranging from «6 months to 3 years» and a fine of «5,000 to 50,000 dirhams».
The controversy stirred by the new bill has pushed the government to react. «The bill in question has not been submitted to the Parliament. It is still being examined by a technical committee created for this purpose to improve it, before it is submitted to a ministerial committee for approval», said Nizar Khairoun, communications advisor of the head of Government Saadeddine El Othmani.
