Authorities can block social media, association of journalists says

April 8, BPN. The recent suggestion to amend the law “On Mass Media” may indicate that the authorities are willing to block access to social networks, the deputy chairman of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), Barys Harecki, told BPN.

Unrestricted access to social media is the only thing that “distinguishes Belarus from Russia” in terms of media consumption today, he said. The revised media law may provide for stronger accountability for disseminating “extremist” content, he added.

But the current media regulations are already unlawful, Harecki continued. “The regulators have enough power to treat any person or media in the country as they like. The law does not protect media, journalists, and consumers in any way,” he said.

“Belarus lives in an era of total legal crisis,” he said. “You can update legislation as much as you want. In reality, the authorities are not guided by any law and simply destroy everything in line with their counterrevolutionary principle.”

On April 6, MP Lilija Ananič, a former information minister, said amendments had been submitted to the Belarusian parliament to “significantly expand the regulator’s ability to adequately react to destructive processes in the media and internet sphere.”