Human rights groups and the opposition are worried over what they call the erosion of freedom of expression in Turkey, with thousands of people subject to criminal proceedings for"insulting" President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on social media. ISTANBUL: Turkey's parliament on Wednesday passed a controversial bill giving the government greater control of social media, a move criticised by human rights advocates as an attempt to increase online censorship.
They argue that increased control of social media will also limit Turkish access to independent or critical information in a country where the news media is in the hands of government-friendly businessmen or controlled by the state. "Social media is a lifeline for many people who use it to access news, so this law signals a new dark era of online censorship," said Tom Porteous, deputy programme director at Human Rights Watch in a statement before the legislation passed.
Erdogan vowed to tighten government control over social media earlier this month after he said"dark-hearted" users insulted Finance Minister Berat Albayrak and his wife Esra, the president's daughter, following the birth of their fourth child.
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