You could soon be fined for creating a Whatsapp group

Forming a Whatsapp group without informing the government could soon land you in a fine of up to Sh0.2million.

If the bill proposed by Malava MP Malulu Injendi succeeds, Facebook and Whatsapp group administrators shall have to be approved by the Communication Authority (CA) prior to forming a group.

Dubbed the Kenya Information and Communications (Amendment) Bill, 2019 the proposed law is scheduled to be introduced into parliament this week.

The bill seeks to regulate and control the circulation of information in the internet. The proposed law has focused on social networking groups as the primary medium of information exchange.

Organizers of wedding committees will be easy prey if the bill becomes a law and might need to be enforced.

“A social media user shall ensure that any content published, written or shared through the social media platform does not degrade, intimidate or violate the rights of the recipient” Reads the bill in parts.

Any person found guilty of contravening a provision of the law will be fined up to Sh0.2 million or get a jail term not exceeding one year.

Whatsapp and Facebook admins shall also be required to ensure that people below 18 years do not participate in conversations on the platforms.

Also in the bill, all bloggers shall have to be registered by CA before publishing any content. Contravening the provision will see unregistered bloggers pay up to Sh0.5million in fines or a two-year jail term.