Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 12/12/2025 10:42

A threat to democratic freedoms

THE EDITOR: It is with profound concern that I observe the current administration's stated intention to introduce laws and regulations targeting social media commentators in TT. This radical shift from its previous position while in opposition represents not only astounding hypocrisy, but a fundamental threat to our cherished democratic freedoms. When in opposition, the United National Congress (UNC) enthusiastically championed social media as a platform for public discourse, even encouraging memes, caricatures and criticism directed at the then prime minister and cabinet. Its Monday Night Forum served as a rallying point for dissent. Today, however, the same party condemns similar expressions as "reckless" and seeks to regulate what it once celebrated. This complete reversal reveals a troubling pattern: criticism is valid only when directed at political opponents. The government's approach contradicts established democratic principles, particularly regarding free expression. As evidenced by numerous legal precedents, once a government official creates a forum for public discourse – including social media pages – they cannot then silence critics without violating basic rights. Research has shown that US courts have consistently ruled that when public officials use social media for governance, the interactive portions of their accounts become "public forums" where censorship constitutes unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination. While these cases originate abroad, they articulate universal democratic values and ideals that should concern every TT citizen. The homeland security minister's overtness to collaborating with foreign governments to revoke visas of commentators peddling "misleading" narratives – coming just days after the Prime Minister denied any involvement in Gary Aboud's visa troubles (coincidence?) ­– reveals either disturbing co-ordination or, from where I sit, an alarming disunity and dissent within government ranks. Equally concerning were the minister’s comments praising China's social media controls, since China prioritises strict state control and information censorship to maintain "social stability" and the Communist Party's narrative, a model fundamentally incompatible with our own constitutional democracy. Our Constitution explicitly guarantees the fundamental rights of freedom of thought, expression, and the press. While the government may cite legitimate concerns about online extremism, our legal and judicial system already provides sufficient remedies. As noted in a recent analysis, TT law is "replete with various statutes, common law offences and civil remedies that render the need for totalitarian-style censorship unnecessary." From preventative detention orders to existing defamation laws, authorities already possess adequate tools to address genuine threats without resorting to broad censorship that inevitably stifles legitimate criticism. The solution to challenging speech is not enforced silence but more speech. As late US Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis wisely counselled, the remedy for falsehood is "more speech, not enforced silence." The notion that if society is faced with speech it finds harmful or false, the most effective response is to counter it with better arguments, rather than government censorship. Or too quote Dr Eric Williams just as eloquently, “Let the jack--- bray.” Further, if the UNC government believes certain narratives are misleading, it should engage in constructive dialogue rather than seeking to muzzle critics. A government secure in its policies should welcome open debate, not retreat behind legislative shields and behave thin-skinned. This assault on free expression occurs alongside troubling signs of erosion in press freedom. Recall that in 2013, the then government attempted to deny media access to crime statistics and criticised negative coverage – tactics that should worry all who value democratic accountability. The current administration appears to be continuing this dangerous precedent rather than reversing it. You cannot claim to champion democracy while emulating the censorship practices of authoritarian regimes. You cannot invoke constitutional principles while creating mechanisms to suppress dissent. However well-intentioned you claim these measures to be, history teaches that powers to silence critics, once established, inevitably expand beyond their original scope. We as right-minded citizens, regardless of party affiliation, must collectively reject this dangerous path and defend the foundational principle that in a true democracy, every citizen retains the right to criticise their government without fear of reprisal. It is profoundly concerning to consider the government’s proposed regulation might be used to silence the critical, risque and satirical tradition of calypsoes when the tents open for the 2026 season. SALAAH INNISS Arima The post A threat to democratic freedoms appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.