The Nigerian Guild of Editors has advised the federal government not to go ahead with the proposed regulation of social media.
The move, it said, negates Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression, including the right to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference.
These were the highlights of a communiqué of the standing committee of the Guild after a meeting in Lagos.
The Guild kicked against the proposed regulation of the social media space, declaring it as an attempt to gag press freedom.
It reminded previous efforts in that direction were usually misconstrued by security agents and some public officials to harass, arrest and in most cases, illegally detain journalists and other Nigerians for holding their opinions.
Advising the federal government to seek ways to maximise social media to disseminate information on its activities and policies, it called for engagement of the founders and promoters of social media platforms to creatively curtail extremisms of violence and hate speech.