Summary:

On 30 October 2024, more than 20 Members of Parliament (MPs) announced plans to begin working on a proposed law that would allow for the monitoring of content on social media.  

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The MPs stated that their initiative aims to police content on social media and avoid what they call “disorder,” referring to content creators who publish content that violates public morals. 

This law would impose penalties, including fines and prison sentences, in the event of recurring violations. 

This comes a few days after the Ministry of Justice published a statement on 27 October stating that it will open criminal investigations against any person “ producing, distributing or publishing images or videos containing content that undermines moral values.” Of particular concern were videos of an either direct or indirect sexual nature, including various dances. 

The next day, several TikTok influencers were arrested on charges that “harassment, intentional expression of obscenities, and immoral or socially offensive behaviour that negatively impacts youth.” 

Outlook: 

The proposed new measures against content creators follows a growing controversy in Tunisia over social media content on apps like Instagram and Tiktok, leading to various calls for the apps to be banned in the country. The Ministry of Justice chose instead to prosecute several social media influencers for publishing immoral content, perhaps as a message to the broader community of creators and users. However, this action has drawn criticism from those who see this as a repressive measure that impinges on freedom of expression. 

Some observers are raising additional concerns that the government is using the controversy over digital content as a pretext to deploy a surveillance infrastructure that will allow for more comprehensive – and potentially more invasive – monitoring of social media in Tunisia. 

Responses to the government’s action have included many calling for action that would invest in cultural preservation and education instead of arresting influencers. 

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