Cameroon launches campaign against social media, calling it 'a new form of terrorism'

The government of Cameroon has launched a campaign against social media, which according to the government-controlled daily, Cameroon Tribune, is “fast becoming a threat to peace and a secret instrument of manipulation” promoting “character destruction, destabilisation of public opinion and deformation of facts among others.”
The anti-social media campaign was taken a notch higher on November 10 when, in a speech to parliament, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Cavaye Djibril, complained about “the social malaise” caused by the “insidious effects of the social media” in Cameroon, which he described as “a new form of terrorism”.

He said: "Social media… is now being used for misinformation, and even intoxication and manipulation of consciences thereby instilling fear in the general public. In fact, it has become as dangerous as a missile.
In a nutshell, social media has become a real social pandemic in Cameroon… I urge the appropriate authorities to see the pressing need to track down and neutralize the culprits of cybercrimes… we should know that there is a limit to freedom, for freedom without limit stifles freedom.
After a parliament meeting was held on Monday, the Cameroon government: "The State of Cameroon is resolutely committed to the fight against social media so as to preserve the image of the country. Social media is increasingly becoming a rallying point for those who want a change at the helm of the state."
The immediate cause of the government’s outrage was the deadly train derailment in Eseka, which resulted in the death of at least 80 people and injured over 600 on October 21, 2016.
While social media users were nimble in sharing information about the disaster in real time, government officials and government-owned traditional media were slow to respond to, and inform the public about, the accident. Most significantly, many Cameroonians criticised Pres. Biya on social media for what they perceived as his lukewarm attitude towards the tragedy.