CPJ, partners urge Angola to amend draft law on false information

The Committee to Protect Journalists and 37 other media and human rights groups have written to the Angolan Ministry of Telecommunications, Information Technologies, and Media, urging amendments to the draft law on the Dissemination of False Information on the Internet, to ensure it aligns with Angola’s constitutional protections for freedom of expression and with the  international and regional human rights treaties to which the country is a party.

The signatories expressed deep concern over the draft law’s broad scope, vague language, and potential weaponization against the press if enacted in its current form. They warned that the proposed provisions would compound existing regressive laws that already criminalize journalism, further entrenching  a repressive environment for journalists in Angola, as documented by CPJ.

Specifically, the draft law allows for prison sentences of up to 10 years for disseminating “false information” and permits the closure of companies for up to 130,000 days, effectively amounting to permanent bans. Its extraterritorial reach could also penalize individuals deemed to have shared “information that has an impact in Angola” thereby restricting access to international sources and criminalizing foreign-based journalism.

Instead of expanding repressive legislation, Angola should be working to repeal it, in line with international standards on freedom of expression.

Given the grave threat this draft law poses to free expression and democratic principles, the organizations strongly urged the Angolan government to reconsider it.

Read the full letter here in English and Portuguese.