Fini the digital Wild West. Death threats, defamation, discriminatory insults…: the list of abuses is long, and the authorities have decided to bang their fist on the table.
The very recent case of the student sentenced to seven years in prison for having threatened to “behead” the Amazigh activist Ahmed Assid is a strong signal. Seven years! A heavy sentence which illustrates the determination of the courts to no longer tolerate calls for violence, even virtual.
This hateful comment, posted in video form, led to an arrest, a trial and a conviction without appeal. A clear warning for those who think that the anonymity of the web protects them.
Moreover, the Minister of Justice, Abdellatif Ouahbi, himself raised the charge. In front of the deputies, last month he virulently denounced the actions of certain
“influencers” who, behind a screen, indulge in all excesses.
Individuals who, in his words, “distort facts and commit crimes in order to make money.” The message is clear: impunity is over. The minister even called on victims to file complaints, assuring them of the support of the justice system.
This firmness is also reflected in a wave of arrests and convictions which is shaking the sphere of Moroccan influencers. Ilyas El Malki, for comments considered insulting to the Amazigh community, Reda Bouzidi, alias “Ould Chinwiya”, for insults and invasion of privacy, or even Houyam Star, for defamation and other accusations…
These cases, widely publicized, are not there to create buzz, but to dissuade. They show that justice is ready to take action, including against personalities followed by thousands, even millions of subscribers.
So, should this be seen as an attack on freedom of expression? No. Rather, it is an attempt to restore order to a space that was sorely lacking.
Freedom of expression is a fundamental right, but it cannot justify threats, insults and defamation. As the saying goes, the freedom of some ends where that of others begins. And on social networks, this limit has been crossed too often.
Morocco is not the only one affected by this phenomenon.
Authorities around the world are seeking to regulate digital platforms to combat online hate and misinformation.
The challenge is significant: we must find a balance between the protection of individual freedoms and the need to preserve public order.
In Morocco, it seems that the time of impunity on social networks is well and truly over. And that’s information to remember.
