00:00 The King of Jordan approved a cybercrime bill that will crack down on online speech deemed
00:07 harmful to national unity, a bill opposition lawmakers and human rights groups have warned
00:12 against.
00:13 The legislation has drawn accusations from human rights groups of a crackdown on free
00:18 expression in a country where censorship is on the rise.
00:21 With the approval of King Abdullah II, the bill now becomes law, set to take effect one
00:26 month after it is published in the state newspaper Al-Waqar.
00:30 The newspaper is expected to publish the law tomorrow.
00:33 The bill was amended to allow judges to choose between imposing prison time and fines rather
00:38 than ordering combined penalties.
00:41 The measure was passed by Jordan's lower house of parliament in July and by the Senate on
00:45 Tuesday.
00:46 The legislation will make certain online posts punishable with prison time and fines.
00:52 Threats that could be targeted include those seen as promoting, instigating, aiding, or
00:57 inciting immorality, demonstrating contempt for religion, or undermining national unity.
01:05 The bill will additionally target those who publish names or pictures of police officers
01:09 online and outlaw certain methods of maintaining online anonymity.
01:14 But opposition lawmakers and human rights groups caution that the new law will expand
01:19 state control over social media, hamper free access to information, and penalise anti-government
01:25 speech.
01:26 A coalition of 14 human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, has called the law "draconian".
01:33 The groups say, "Vague provisions opened the door for Jordan's executive branch to
01:37 punish individuals for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, forcing the judges
01:42 to convict citizens in most cases."
01:44 The president of Jordan's press association also warned the language could infringe upon
01:49 press freedom and freedom of speech.
01:52 The United States, a key ally and Jordan's largest donor, also criticised the law.
01:57 The measure is the latest in a number of crackdowns on online speech in the kingdom, including
02:00 social media blackouts.
02:02 In December, it blocked the TikTok app after users shared live videos of workers' protests.
02:07 [music]
