Senegal human rights official warns social media regulation could lead to tyranny

Seydi Gassama, the executive director of Amnesty International Senegal, has warned that proposed regulations for social media could “return the country to the tyranny” experienced between 2021 and 2024. In a statement released on Monday, September 21, Gassama argued that social media has shifted power to citizens, requiring political and economic elites to adapt to this new reality rather than attempting to restrict it.

This warning follows a recent op-ed by Mary Teuw Niane, Chief of Staff to President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. In her piece, titled “Wresting Youth from the Grip of Lucifer,” Niane expressed concern over the violence and aggression found in online exchanges. While not naming specific individuals, Niane’s comments targeted Ousmane Sonko and his supporters, calling for the digital sector to be reclaimed from “merchants of hate” to protect the nation's youth and values.