New law in Uganda imposes restrictions on use of internet

The Bill, passed by the legislature in September, was brought by a lawmaker who said it was necessary to punish those who hide behind computers to hurt others. [iStockphoto]

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has signed into law legislation criminalising some internet activity despite concerns the law could be used to silence legitimate criticism.

The Bill, passed by the legislature in September, was brought by a lawmaker who said it was necessary to punish those who hide behind computers to hurt others. That lawmaker argued in his bill that the "enjoyment of the right to privacy is being affected by the abuse of online and social media platforms through the sharing of unsolicited, false, malicious, hateful and unwarranted information."