Four social media pages are closed for being administered by individuals circulating provocative posts that incite violence against state institutions and citizens, the Ministry of Interior announced on Tuesday.
This came as a part of the ministry’s efforts to combat crimes related to the use of modern technology, particularly by monitoring social media, according to a statement issued by the ministry.
The parliament is scheduled to discuss a cyber crime bill during the current legislative term, as it has been pending since the past two terms. Parliament members previously drafted a cyber crime bill to support counterterrorism efforts and tackle social media users or pages deemed to incite violence against the state.
The bill included penalties that would impose harsh punishments ranging from heavy fines to prison sentences to the death penalty, which has raised concerns among civil society members and activists, fearing that parliament will vote to pass it.
The bill was not the first of its kind attempting to target cyber crimes. Another one was filed in May 2015 and was also rejected by civil society members, who called on the president to not approve the law.
